Faint voices, almost like hushed whispers. It was the first thing Kasumi could force her mind to concentrate on, and from that, opening her eyes was easier. The bright lights of the hospital room made her instantly shut her eyes closed, and when she felt that she could finally adjust to the lighting, she slowly opened them again. "You scared me, kid."
It'd been a while since she'd last heard his voice, and she took a second before turning her head to meet the gaze of the older man sitting next to her, accompanied by a beautiful blonde she'd only ever seen in pictures he'd shown her when she had been but a toddler. She turned her head back towards the ceiling, closing her eyes and letting out a slow breath. Kasumi couldn't remember exactly why she was there, and she was too afraid to ask, but she knew it was bad from the fact that Jiraiya was there.
"Here, drink." She took a second to sit up, taking the paper cup once done and brought it slowly to her dry lips, drinking the cold water greedily. Her mouth had been dry, and the comforting coolness of the water instantly helped. Once she'd downed the last drop, she cleared her throat before attempting to speak.
"Why am I here?" The question seemed to concern Jiraiya, she noticed from the look he shot the blonde woman beside him, who in turn closed her eyes as if trying to discern how to break down some bad news, but Jiraiya placed a hand on her shoulder before she could speak.
"You and your friend Rin were kidnapped by shinobi from the Hidden Mist." That was all she needed to hear. The memories flooded her brain and played out like a film; from the moment she'd joined Rin at Obito's memorial to the moment Kakashi lost consciousness. Things blacked out after that, but the sight of Kakashi's arm through Rin's chest remained burned in her retinas, and the fact that it had been her fault for not moving fast enough hung heavy in her heart. "Kid, can you remember any of it?"
Kasumi nodded her head. She remembered more than she wanted to, enough to see that she'd been completely inadequate as a support pillar to her friends, and it hurt. She had lost Rin, too soon after Obito, and she didn't even know how Kakashi was. Had the enemy reached him before reinforcements arrived? How had she made it back to Konoha? "Kakashi?"
"He's fine, he was discharged yesterday. You're free to go too, but I'm positive you'll be summoned by old man Sarutobi soon enough." The blonde promptly exited the room, leaving her and Jiraiya alone. She wasn't sure what to say to the man, she'd spent the last years being angry at him, but none of it mattered at that moment. She was completely devastated, torn between not knowing how to process the loss of Rin and worrying about Kakashi, and she wanted nothing more than to go home and bury herself in her bedsheets.
"I'm sorry, Kasumi." Jiraiya looked somber, but his words were genuine, which confused her. Yes, she'd been angry at him, but deep down she'd always known leaving wasn't exactly a choice he'd made on his own, he had been doing it for her and the villages safety. Somehow the apology she'd always wanted to hear made her feel selfish, and she shook her head, tried to let him know it was fine, but he continued. "I shouldn't have tried to shelter you so much, but I was too worried about The Foundation or anyone with questionable intentionstaking interest in you. There won't be a person in Konoha who doesn't know about you after what you did."
After what you did. The phrase distracted her from the fact that she had no clue what he meant by The Foundation, and that someone like that had in fact already shown interest. She'd had done nothing aside from being a nuisance, blacking out while the enemy surrounded them, what exactly had happened? Jiraiya must've noticed the confused look on her face, and his brow furrowed, once again in concern. "Kasumi, you don't remember what you did?"
"The only thing I did was fail my friends." Jiraiya shook his head, and he took a while to respond, as if searching for the right words to say, but she could tell that for once, he didn't know how to reply. It was evident that she wouldn't be comforted by anything he said, not when she'd lost another friend.
"You couldn't save Rin, but you saved Kakashi." She scoffed, ready to retort that she'd blacked out half a second after he had, but Jiraiya raised a hand, a silent plead for her to hear him out. She caved in, more from the need to force her tears back than to listen to what he had to say. "When reinforcements reached you and Kakashi, they reported they'd seen you dispose of the last two Mist assailants at the same time before losing consciousness. They checked out every cadaver in sight, and all of them save for one had wounds consistent to your kekkei genkai."
"Rin." She'd been the only one with a different wound, a wound too large and too charred to have been caused by her Shikotsumyaku, she could still smell the scent of burnt flesh, and her fingers instantly dug into the mattress beneath her. Jiraiya nodded his head, confirming her assessment. "But I blacked out before that, right after Kakashi, that can't be right!"
Kasumi could feel herself growing agitated. Nothing made sense, she remembered exactly when she blacked out, or at least, where everything blacked out, but they'd seen. How could she possibly argue something that had been witnessed? "I know it's a lot to take in, but sometimes the brain blocks out memories that are too traumatic in order to protect itself."
Jiraiya's explanation was something she knew was true, but it still felt too unreal, so much so that she wanted to continue to fight it, but there was no point when all evidenced proved otherwise. "How long have I been out of it?"
"Two weeks kid. Were already a week into September." A knock on the closed window alerted them to the presence of two ANBU operatives on the other side, and without another word, Jiraiya slid the window open. "Already?"
"Lord Sandaime requests her presence." Their masks were different to the eerily creepy ones the Mist nin donned, but the fact that she couldn't see their faces still managed to shake her a bit, so she looked away from the three men who were now discussing something in hushed tones she didn't care to decipher.
When they finally left, muttering underneath their breath, Kasumi finally forced herself to get out of bed. Had she been anyone else, she knew the lack of movement would've made the action of standing harder, but her unusual bone structure remained the same as always, ready to keep her pushing through. Jiraiya had brought her a change of clothes, she could tell by the choice of a childish overall dress that she had grown out of the year before, and the plain white tee that accompanied it, but she did nothing to complain, instead taking the clothes and stepping into the small restroom attached to the room.
The overall dress hung a few inches above her knees but wasn't as snug as she'd remembered, and once she was done, she saw her reflection in the mirror above the sink. She looked thin, thinner than she'd been before, but mostly exhausted, which she was. She washed her face quickly and tried to comb through her frizzy curls with her fingers in a bland attempt at managing them, but she quickly gave up, exiting the restroom shortly after putting on the new pair of black sandals that had been provided. "I'm ready."
...
Being in the presence of old man Sarutobi never made her feel as nervous as it did at that moment. He looked serious, more so than she'd ever seen him, and the elders carried the same expression as well, but the only person that didn't sit right with her was the man that joined them as well.
"Danzo, what do you think?" The man looked the same age as the old man but looked the complete opposite. Danzo seemed cold, calculating even, with a hint of superiority surrounding him, and she didn't like it. He was staring at her with a look that reminded her of Orochimaru, and she absentmindedly brought a hand to her neck where the necklace he'd gifted her previously rested, only to find that it was still missing. As if noticing the action, Danzo shot a small grin her way before answering the elders.
"I think she'd be a great addition to The Foundation. It's insult enough that none of us knew about a Kaguya in the village." Not once did he take his eyes off her as he spoke, and she could feel the tension radiating off of Jiraiya enough to realize that this Danzo was bad news, but that didn't distract her enough from the truth he'd exposed; the elders had no clue she existed. She shot old man Sarutobi a questioning look, but he refused to meet her gaze.
"She does have remarkable abilities, but it's to be expected after being raised by Jiraiya." The woman, Koharu, added. She felt like a piece of premium beef at the market, and it bothered her, but she remained quiet as to not offend them and make Jiraiya look bad.
"You flatter me, Koharu. But I really think you should let me train her for a little longer. She's too young for Root, and too old for the academy." Danzo's jaw clenched noticeably, and she had to look away before he caught her staring. Koharu and Homura murmured to each other for what seemed like the longest minute ever until Homura spoke.
"You've been an important figure in the frontlines, Jiraiya. I'm not sure it would be a smart decision for us to allow that."
"Nonsense." Old man Sarutobi spoke at last, capturing the attention of everyone in the room in the way that only a respected leader like him could. He set his gaze upon her, and she could see the wisdom behind his eyes that let her know he knew what he'd been doing the whole time. "This war is coming to an end, Jiraiya can return. But I'd like Kasumi to recall what happened, like we agreed we would before making a decision."
"We heard what happened from the reinforcement squad, Hiruzen!" Danzo was losing his patience. It was the first time she'd ever heard anyone raise their voice at the calm man, and also the first time she'd heard anyone refer to him as anything other than 'old man' and 'Lord Sandaime', yet he remained cool and composed.
"No, Sarutobi is right. What happened that night, Kasumi?" As soon as Koharu spoke her name, all eyes were on her, and she forced herself to relax, taking in a deep breath before going as far back as her memories allowed her to. She'd been feeling ill from the effects of refusing to continue dosing herself with Orochimaru's 'gift' the night she'd met Rin at the cemetery, but she omitted that detail before beginning.
"I couldn't sleep, so I went to the cemetery to visit my friend, Obito. Rin… she was already there, so I joined her, and we talked for a bit." Rin's worried expression clouded her mind. Her doe like brown eyes, soft and full of concern. Her soft palm on her clammy cheek. Kasumi forced herself to shove the images to the back of her mind before continuing. "They caught us off guard. Threw a smoke bomb with sleeping gas in it. I managed not to breath any in, but Rin did. They wanted Rin, I wasn't sure for what, but when their captain saw me, he decided to take me for my kekkei genkai. I tried… I tried to hold them off, but they managed to inject a sedative in me."
"Tsunade said they gave her enough to knock out Gamabunta." Jiraiya added.
"When I regained consciousness, we were in a cave, I heard them talking about a jinchuriki. I wasn't sure what they meant… Rin was caught in a genjutsu. Kakashi showed up not long after and we managed to escape, but Rin began to panic… she said she felt strange, that something was in her."
"Kirigakure put a tailed beast in her." Danzo's monotone voice when speaking of what happened to Rin made her want to pluck his uncovered eye out, but she bit her tongue and nodded her head.
"They pursued us. Rin started asking us to kill her, we weren't having it. Kakashi fell back so we could get away, but Rin followed after him. I tried to reach her, but I was too late…"
"Kakashi Hatake had already killed her." That was the last straw. She moved fast, but Jiraiya was faster. He was holding up Danzo by the front of his robes with a look she'd never seen on his face before. He was seething, and Danzo's unbothered expression only served to anger him more, but before things could escalate, old man Sarutobi stepped in.
"That's enough, Jiraiya." Jiraiya let go of the cruel man, and part of her wished he'd pummeled him instead. He had been out of line, and she could feel the hate she felt for Danzo radiating off of her in waves. "Don't speak out of line, Danzo."
"Kakashi didn't kill Rin. She jumped into Kakashi's Chidori. He lost consciousness right after, I blacked out…" The rude man didn't acknowledge her, instead turning towards the elders as if expecting them to reprimand Jiraiya, but they were speechless. "If it's all the same to you, I'd like to remain under Master Jiraiya's tutelage."
She was itching to get out of there, to go check on Kakashi, and she no longer cared if they noticed it. Nothing mattered, not even finding out that the old man had lied to her about the elders being the reason she couldn't join the academy, that they had no clue she even existed. They talked amongst themselves for a second before finally turning to her and Jiraiya. "We think that would be for the best, but she must take a genin exam before that. She has no recollection of what she managed to do, and talent like that must be put to the villages use."
She. It was like they didn't acknowledge her presence in the room, and it bothered her more than it should have, but their terms were simple, and she had no other choice. Jiraiya looked to her, as if to gauge a feel of what she wanted to do, and when she nodded her head, he spoke. "Give us a week to go down to the academy for the genin exam. Kasumi just woke up, let her recover."
"Very well. We'll be expecting the results."
...
"We have quite a lot to talk about, but it can wait. Go do what you have to do, I'll see you later on tonight." Kasumi thanked her luck for the fact Jiraiya let her off the hook, nodding her head in silent agreement before making her way towards the market. She'd only made it a few feet away before she heard her name be called out through the growing sounds of the lively commerce. "I'm glad you're alright kid."
She'd missed him, as much as she'd resented him when he'd stopped writing, she'd truly missed him. Kasumi shot him the brightest smile she could muster before making her way deeper into the market, where she instantly noticed all the minor details she'd missed before. The different smells, from the savory scent of yakisoba, to the wonderful smell of clean linen, to the odd scent of polishing oil from the weapons shop across the bakery she adored. Being in the clutches of that Kirigakure captain had convinced her she'd never experience any of those things again, and remembering that Rin was the one who would never experience it made her feel full of guilt.
Would Kakashi blame her? Kakashi who had fallen back to help them get distance enough between them and the enemy to reach safety, would he blame her for failing? She remembered being able to dispose of two nin pursuing them, hearing the way her bones tore through their flesh, how their warm blood stained her skin. She'd been able to do that thanks to the adrenaline kick she'd received from almost being recaptured, she could still remember how her skin had buzzed with the added rush, but it hadn't lasted very long, she knew had there been more than two she wouldn't be in Konoha. Why didn't any of it feel right?
The scent of freshly bloomed peonies brought her out of her thoughts, and when her eyes landed on the beautiful flower shop with its different arrays of bouquets and arrangements, she made a beeline for it. She'd been unconscious for two weeks, she knew she'd missed Rin's funeral, and her hands shook as she opened the door to step inside. Kakashi could wait a bit, she had to visit Rin.
Kasumi purchased two bouquets of white lilies, one for Obito and one for Rin, before making her way to the cemetery. It was still bright out, barely midday, and she hoped the area wouldn't be as empty as it usually was. The last time she'd been there was when her nightmare had begun, and she could feel the growing fear in her chest the closer she got, but she forced herself to continue.
It was empty save for the lone figure standing not too far off from her. There, before a newly set up grave, stood Kakashi. Her knees felt weak at the sight of him, the fear that he'd berate her for letting Rin run back to him and the Kiri nin was eating at her, and part of her begged her to turn back and return later, but she stayed. He noticed her presence, but he said nothing to acknowledge it. When she reached him, one look at the new headstone let her know it was Rin's.
She silently placed a bouquet atop the headstone before stepping back next to the quiet boy. She silently made a prayer, begging Rin to forgive her for not being fast enough, for being useless until the end. She could feel the tears slowly making their way down her cheeks, but she remained silent as to not disturb him, but he had already noticed, and although she could quiet the sounds, she couldn't hide the way her lips trembled or the damp trail her tears left. "I'm—I'm really sorry!"
Kakashi remained silent as she sobbed into her hands, too ashamed of falling apart in front of someone she'd done so wrongly by. She couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze, too scared he'd be looking at her with disgust, something she deserved. She felt his firm hands wrap around her forearms, and when he forced her hands away from her face, she noticed the way his eyebrows furrowed. His forehead protector was gone, and the tears in his mismatched eyes made a sharp pain shoot through her chest. "I'm the one who promised Obito to look after her, it's wasn't your fault."
She'd never seen Kakashi so vulnerable before, and the sight absolutely shattered her. She wanted to make him feel anything other than how he felt at that moment, he'd been through enough for one lifetime, so she wrapped her arms as far as she could around him and held on tight. Words wouldn't be enough to express how badly she wanted him to be okay, and her own grief and pain took a backseat to his feelings. "I know you're done with promises, but I promise not to ever let you feel this way again."
He said nothing, and she panicked for a second, thinking she'd said the wrong thing, but he wrapped his arms around her and embraced her just as tightly as she did him. "We're gonna be alright."
"We're gonna be alright." She let him go, wrapped her hand around his and led him down to where Obito's headstone rested. His hand felt clammy, and she could tell he felt nervous about stopping there, but she had bought a bouquet for Obito and it would be better for him to get it over with instead of avoiding it until he no longer could.
Once they reached it, she handed him the bouquet, and he took it, placing it tenderly on Obito's headstone. They both stood there for a while, eyes closed and hands in prayer, but something bothered Kasumi. Being at Obito's headstone didn't feel right. Something in her brain kept her from acknowledging the fact that he was gone, something that hadn't happened with Rin, and she thought it had been the fact that she hadn't been there to witness what happened to him but that wasn't it. She tried to rack her brain for an explanation, to the point where she was beginning to get a headache, and then it happened.
A single image, like an eidetic memory, stood vividly in her mind. A spiral mask with only one eye hole on its right side, drenched in blood. She tried to focus on the memory, but it was instantly replaced by a painful thudding in her head and a spinning pattern that she'd seen emblazed in the red orbs of the Uchiha clan. "Kasumi, are you okay?"
Only when she opened her eyes did she realize she was out of breath, a thin coat of sweat covering what seemed like her whole body, and she quickly nodded her head, but Kakashi didn't seem convinced at all. She knew she'd sound crazy if she let him know what had happened, and it was the last thing she needed, so she forced herself to muster up the most genuine smile she could. "It was just a sudden headache."
If he didn't believe her, he kept it to himself. They stood there at Obito's headstone for what only felt like five more minutes, but the sun was beginning to set, and Kakashi looked more exhausted than he was letting on. "I don't want to…but Jiraiya is waiting for me at home. He wants to talk."
"That's fine, I'll walk you." Kasumi wanted to protest, he really did look like he needed rest, but she knew it would be futile, so she nodded her head. Their eyes met, and when she realized he wasn't breaking contact, she began to shift in her spot, suddenly self-conscious of whatever it was he saw when he looked at her. He raised a hand slowly, and she could feel her heart beating loudly in her chest until he tucked a stray lock of wavy hair that had fallen out of place behind her ear. "Your hair has seen better days."
Did he really just…? Kasumi wanted to strangle him, but the relief that a bit of the usual Kakashi was still somewhere in him was enough to let his comment slide, enough to make her forget for a second about the suppressed memories in her mind, the man in the spiral mask. She huffed in annoyance before taking his hand in hers and leading him down the path that led them back to the village center and on the way to her house.
The walked in silence, but a comfortable silence that she'd only ever experienced with him, and the closer they got to her house, the more she could feel him fidgeting, his fingers moving every so often in the grip of her hand.
When they reached her home, she could see the lights on inside, a sight she hadn't seen in quite a while, and she turned to the boy trailing behind her, only to find him already looking at her. "We're gonna be alright."
"We're gonna be alright." Something about the way he said it seemed odd, but he was gone before she could say anything else. The front door to her home loomed over her, and she braced herself for whatever conversation she'd be subjected to before silently slipping in.
The scent of yakisoba instantly reached her nose, and she spotted the white-haired man setting a plate for her, his already set in his usual spot. Her appetite was surprisingly nowhere to be found, but she knew it would be odd of her to refuse her favorite meal, so she walked over to the kitchen sink and washed her hands before taking a seat across from Jiraiya.
"Thank you for the meal." They ate quietly, and it was obvious he was bidding his time, trying to figure out a way to start the conversation. Her eyes were glued to the steamy noodles, and she moved the various pieces of cabbage and carrot around her plate, hoping he wouldn't notice she wasn't eating as much as she usually did. He remained silent, stealing a glance her way every so often, and she pretended not to notice until she no longer could. "I'm okay."
"Are you though? You've been through a lot." He set his utensils down, and she followed suit. He was looking at her in an almost analyzing manner, and although she hadn't seen him in four years, it hadn't made it any easier to learn to be unreadable to him. "Tell you what, I'll listen. You do the talking."
"What am I supposed to even talk about exactly?" She had made sure to sound as sarcastic as she could, but it was an honest question. She didn't know where to start. So much was on her mind at that moment, from wanting to question him about why the old man lied about the elders and why he had stopped writing her, to telling him about what she remembered at the cemetery. Should she even mention Orochimaru? The man had done nothing out of the ordinary, or at least that was what she told herself, but still, something seemed wrong about him, and she feared how Jiraiya would react.
"Anything, kid." He really wasn't helping much, but his voice was sincere, and she knew he was just trying not to be pushy, almost as if testing the waters around her, and she supposed she couldn't blame him. He hadn't seen her go from a toddler to a somewhat self-sufficient eight-year-old, so he didn't know what she was like now. He didn't know about her panic attacks. Or the lingering anxiety.
"Okay then. You stopped writing. And the old man had been lying to me this whole time about why I couldn't enroll in the academy. He said the elders didn't want me to, but the elders didn't even know I existed." She made sure to emphasize the last word, and she'd forgotten to mention she was not as upset about his lack of communication with her as she was everything else, but it didn't matter. Jiraiya crossed his arms before nodding.
"One of my messengers got intercepted on the way to you, but he managed to swallow the letter before being disposed of. I didn't want to run the risk of anyone catching wind of you, so I didn't write again. It's also why the old man and I never corresponded about you." It made sense, and she felt a bit ashamed for not having come to that conclusion on her own, but she'd been younger then, more naïve, and it had hurt. She nodded her head to that explanation, a clear indication she was over that subject. "As for the last part, that wasn't his fault. I figured Danzo would want to get his grimy hands on you as soon as he realized just who you were, and I promised your mother I'd care for you, which is why I didn't sign you up on any official registries, so there was no way for you to join the academy. No way for the elders to know about you."
"Is Danzo the only person you were trying to keep me away from?" She knew the question would raise some red flags, but if it did, he hid it well. Orochimaru was his teammate, a member of the Legendary Sannin like himself, but something just felt wrong about the way he'd only come around when Jiraiya had left.
"What makes you ask that?" And just like that he'd flipped the script on her. She tried to come up with a good retort, but she stumbled on her words, and she could feel her cheeks flush red at her mistake. "Who have you crossed paths with that has made you feel the need to ask that?"
"I—I know I said I blacked out the night of Rin's death, but earlier on I forced myself to try and remember being conscious and doing what the reinforcements said they saw me do, and I saw something odd." She had wanted to keep that to herself, too scared of being deemed as losing it by the person she looked up to the most, but something made her feel ashamed about what had occurred with Orochimaru, and she knew Jiraiya would have lost it had he found out she took something from the serpent-like man. It had been the typical 'don't take candy from strangers' scenario and she had failed. "I saw someone donning a white spiral mask with only one eye hole, on the right side. It was covered in blood. I tried to remember more, but the three tomoe symbol of the Sharingan instantly appeared in my mind… like some kind of wall."
Bringing up the image she'd remembered had opened up another can of worms though, she could tell by the way Jiraiya's brows furrowed in a concentrated manner. "Did you tell anyone else about it?"
Kasumi shook her head. She'd been with Kakashi when it happened, and the swirling tomoe of the Sharingan she'd seen, like a screen in her mind, had made her keep it to herself. She contemplated for a second whether she should tell Jiraiya about it, but ultimately decided not to.
"Good. Let's call it a night kid, I've got some stuff to look into, and we have business to attend to tomorrow." Business? He let out a hearty laugh, one she'd missed the carefreeness off, before answering her silent question. "Our first day of training after a four-year hiatus!"
Once she'd helped clear the table, she'd gone up to take a shower, something she'd been wanting to do since she'd seen her reflection in the hospital restroom mirror. The warm water soothed her, and she welcomed its warmth, standing beneath the shower head far longer than necessary, eyes closed in silent contemplation.
She hadn't seen Shisui since she'd upset him, and a part of her felt slighted knowing he hadn't even bothered to visit her. Until she realized she hadn't even asked Jiraiya. The forgetful man was never one to bring up things like that unless asked, so she quickly ran out of the shower, drying herself off as fast as she could and tugging on a regular periwinkle kimono top and some black shorts on before running downstairs where the man sat completely enthralled in a pile of papers; most likely his book work.
"Did anyone visit me while I was out of it?" She was breathless by the time she finished the question, and he pondered on her question in an almost comical manner for what seemed like an eternity. "TUH-day please!"
"Maa, I almost forgot! Shisui Uchiha was there every day, poor kid looked so crushed!" He scratched his head in an almost apologetic manner, and she angrily muttered something along the lines of 'you're getting senile already' before rushing out of the house, ignoring his comments about regretting missing sleep tomorrow. Shisui had been worried, which meant he was no longer as upset at her as he'd been before, so she made her way down to the Uchiha residence as fast as she could.
...
The first thing she noticed was the complete increase in security. It was alarming, but then she realized why a clan of their caliber would make that decision after having Kirigakure shinobi slip into Konoha undetected and slip back out with two of its inhabitants. She had planned on simply slipping in like always but decided walking through the main gates would be the safer option. The Uchiha men in their Police Force uniforms looked like they meant business, and the last thing she needed was coming off as a threat, so when she reached the two scowling men guarding the entrance to the compound, she offered them a small smile, bowing politely as a sign she meant no trouble. "Good evening. I was hoping to see if I could visit a friend of mine."
"Who's your friend, kid?" The tallest of them asked, and from the way his scowl stayed in place, even as he'd spoke, she figured he'd just been born with it.
"Shisui Uchiha." The men both nodded their head before letting her through, and she internally sighed at how easy it had been to get that over with, but then figured they'd have no trouble seeing if she was anyone else than who she was portraying to be. That was the thing with the Sharingan, you couldn't fool it. The moon had risen long before she'd decided to stop by, and by the time she reached the familiar house, she hoped she hadn't caught him too late.
Kasumi brought a hand to her neck, instantly realizing she'd forgotten her key before mentally cursing herself for her minor slip up. She'd rushed to get ready and head over that she'd completely forgotten to grab the necklace that kept the key to Shisui's house safe from the nightstand she kept it in, and she quickly gathered up the courage to knock. She felt nervous. Jiraiya had said Shisui had looked upset, but had it been because he thought she wouldn't make it? Had he gone back to being upset at her once he realized she was fine?
The door opened suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts. It was obvious he'd just stepped out of a shower, mostly from the way he'd forgone a shirt and stood before her in a pair of dark blue sweatpants with a white towel in one hand, which he instantly dropped the moment his eyes landed on her. They stood there silently for a second, until she saw his eyes go from their usual charcoal to the ruby red color of the Sharingan, tomoe spinning wildly, and although the sight made her heart beat the way she imagined a deer's heart would as it ran from a wolf, she stayed put. He didn't mean harm, she could see that much, and when he let out the most relieved sigh he'd ever heard before he pulled her in his arms, eyes back to their normal color. "I had to make sure it was you—I thought I'd lost you!"
His skin was warm as always, and she would've attributed to the fact he'd just showered, but his skin was always warm, something that seemed particular to him. "I was only unconscious, don't exaggerate."
He pulled away, a serious look on his face, and she could tell there was something he'd seen that had bothered him from the way he gazed at her. "Kasumi, when they brought you back, you were drenched in blood…head to toe. I wouldn't have known it was you without my eyes…"
It was almost hard to believe, considering how clean she'd been when she'd finally woken up. Even as she'd showered, there'd been no sign of blood at all, but she knew he wasn't lying. She'd could tell by the way she could feel his erratic heartbeat against her chest as he'd held her. "It's okay, I'm okay."
He stepped out of the doorway so she could step inside, and he picked up the towel he'd dropped before closing the door behind him. He'd lit incense, something he only ever did on the day of his mothers birthday, but she didn't bother asking about it, instead opting to follow him into his room, taking a seat on his bed as he pulled a shirt out of his closet. "I feel like I'm always apologizing… but I really am sorry. For the way I acted the last time we spoke… and for Rin."
Kasumi nodded her head, offering him a small genuine smile. He was right, he was always apologizing, but the last time hadn't been just his mistake. She said nothing of it though, too anxious to let it go to waste another second on one of their fights, and she quickly changed the subject before he could continue prodding. "I'm taking the genin exam a week from now. Jiraiya is back to train me, I'm not sure for how long though."
"It took you getting kidnapped and taking down an army of Kirigakure nin for them to finally see you as shinobi material, still, that was quite impressive Kasumi." A heavy feeling set in the pit of her stomach, but again, she said nothing. The only person who knew the only thing she did remember was Jiraiya, and that was the way she intended to keep it.
"Enough of that, what's new?" He took a seat next to her, smiling brightly as he went into detail about how excited he was now that his team was the one with the most B-rank missions under their belt, and while she was happy that he was happy, a part of her filled with dread. She only had Kakashi and Shisui left, and she felt nauseous just thinking of what she'd do if she were to lose one of them. "What's wrong?"
His animated expression had been replaced by a worried one, and she instantly felt annoyed at herself for being the reason for the change. "I just missed you, that's all."
Shisui smiled once again, his sooty lashes accentuating the brightness of his dark eyes in an almost perfect manner. He was beautiful, truly, in a way that made her feel was unfair, and when she caught herself staring, she felt her cheeks blaze in embarrassment. "First you stare, and then you go red like a fresh tomato, I was certain my Sharingan couldn't be fooled, but I'm not so sure now."
"Shisui Uchiha, you're unbearable." His melodic laughter filled the room, and she huffed in annoyance, although her cheeks still felt warm. Something was different about him, and she couldn't quite place a finger on it, but she enjoyed it. Before he could poke more fun at her expense, she stood from where she'd sat next to him. "I'm outta here, you've exhausted my daily Shisui limit."
"Fine, one last thing though!" She turned to him, and his jovial expression was replaced by one full of genuine relief that made her heart beat faster in her chest. "I'm so glad you're okay."
"Me too."
...
I suck at writing sad Kakashi, but I absolutely loved writing the Shisui scene, I missed him last chapter so much, and I was smiling the whole time I wrote his scene, small as it was. Jiraiya is back! And Tsunade was there for a bit, but only bcs Jiraiya forced her to for Kasumi, what a nice Jiraiya-pa! Ha-ha. Do you think Kasumi is the only one avoiding talking about Orochimaru, or is Jiraiya avoiding the subject too? Do you ship Kasumi and Kakashi or Kasumi and Shisui? Well, hope you guys enjoyed this enjoyed this chapter! On another note, I know quarantine sucks and a lot of us are turning to fanfiction to get by, so I'd like to recommend some of my favorite writers for you guys to check out!
DimiGex, MitsukiShiroi, Rise of the Blossom, peachandbetty and Lindt Luirae. I have a bunch more, but those are my top faves, and they update pretty consistently, which I know most of you are looking for in these trying times. If you guys need more suggestions, check out my favorited stories, there's a lot of gold there!