A/N – Just a quick note to say thank you to those who've sent feedback so far: bhodi li, lost ninja 1, Riddle, Juegei, and rebel-blah-blah-blah. This chapter is longer (the other two were more introductory, I probably should have put them into 1 lol) so I hope it's alright in length. Anyway, Enjoy (I hope!)
It had been relatively easy getting Sasuke back to Kakashi's residence; the boy was extremely, worryingly light, it barely took any effort for Kakashi to carry him all that distance. He was still cautious though, because the boy seemed so frail, like his limbs would break off like twigs.
But the main problem was just how disgustingly filthy the boy was; the stench and dirt clung to him like a second skin, his clothing now tattered layers hung pathetically from the thin frame. His nails were long and splintered a disgusting color. In his hair, various insects were seen stuck between the long ropey dreads.
It was enough to make Kakashi gag now he was this close to the boy for so long, and again wondering just what it could take to put someone in such a state.
Kakashi sighed as he now stood in the middle of the bathroom with Sasuke propped up, and still unconscious on the floor against the bath side.
When he first entered his apartment, he wondered just where exactly he could put Sasuke – surely the smell and dirt would transfer onto anything the boy touched? Also he was unsure as to when exactly the teen would regain consciousness – and how he would react to the new surroundings.
So, they ended up in the bathroom, where Kakashi was intent on the new difficult task of attempting to clean up Sasuke. With a sigh and a grimace, he cautiously crouched down in front of the still being, and hastily grabbed what was left of the top that was once blue and clean.
Trying to be very careful, he began to strip Sasuke from the poor excuses of clothing – the task was somewhat easier than anticipated because some of the fabric tore away easily from his sharp tugs. Swallowing down the feeling of nausea again, Kakashi threw the garments aside into the bin, and then carefully lifted the boy, placing him in the bath.
"Alright" he sighed to himself, "let's try and get you clean 'Suke" Kakashi said, keeping the boy upright with one arm, while he reached for the shower head, putting it down briefly to twist the taps on and reach for a flannel, then he began to wash him.
The water soon turned into a heavy stream of brown and red mingling together as the dirt was literally scrubbed away from what was once pale soft flesh. The dirt seemed never ending, but was gradually coming off. Kakashi was now using a third flannel; the other two were beyond use from the dirt.
As the dirt came away, and sickly pale flesh became more obvious – so was the boy's bones. Kakashi could count the prominent ribs, of the small frail body inside the bath, which seemed inhuman, unnatural in this state.
Kakashi frowned as he threw the flannel to the side and stared at Sasuke's expressionless face. The boy was still deep under sleep, hardly having moved at all. Occasionally a quiet moan forced his way past his lips, but that was all.
His eyes scanned over Sasuke's hair next, and then his nails. With another frown he thought to himself I'm going to need a chain saw to get through them. It was logical that he should cut the boys nails – to prevent harm to him and others, and also the hair was infested with various things and it deemed impossible to wash or brush through without cutting it first.
Judging this was the best he could Sasuke cleaned, Kakashi turned off the taps and stood up, knees cracking. Heaving a sigh he grabbed a nearby towel and carefully wrapped it around Sasuke's body, picking him up.
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Kakashi held the pair of scissors in the air for a moment, as he admired his handiwork. "Hmm" he snipped the scissors anxiously. He smiled sadly at the state of Sasuke's hair now; stuck up in various thick wild black tufts, and somehow it was longer at the front than at the back.
He mused that it was like a more drastic and shorter version of how Sasuke's hair was three years ago, but it felt like an eternity since that time.
"Sorry 'Suke" he said aloud as he gently ran a hand through the black hair, rough under his fingers – it would need washing. He was sorry that Sasuke had ended up like this, and alone for God knew how long. He was sorry that the boy was scared and literally out of his mind.
Kakashi frowned as he pushed back some hair away from the boy's forehead, and noticed a faint scar running over the boy's left temple, sloping away at an angle and disappearing past the hair line. He ran a finger lightly over it, Maybe that has something to do with him being like this, he thought before stepping away.
Sasuke was once again propped up against the bath edge, with various towels draped over him, and a mass of matted hair around him on the tiled floor that had been hacked away. Kakashi had managed to cut down the boy's nails earlier, which was some grim task, and with a pair of tweezers, winced his way through picking out various splinters from the boy's fingertips.
But at least now Sasuke was pretty clean, and the nauseating stench was gone. Kakashi was pretty sure Sasuke would have been impressed, if he had the same standards as before – but compared to his condition just hours ago, anything was an improvement.
It was now that Kakashi could look down upon Sasuke in his new, cleaner state, and see the full impact of things, and it sickened him. The teenagers body, almost skeletal, looked absolutely tiny compared to Kakashi – his body was nothing like the young athletic frame he once had, full of strength; Sasuke was now the one thing he'd always feared and despised – weak.
He closed his eyes. Before, the idea of Sasuke being weak – truly weak, in the sense that he seemed barely to even gather enough energy to move, let alone fight, it was unthinkable. He never dreamt that anyone, let alone Sasuke could end up like this – and now here they were facing this nightmare.
A change in the atmosphere caused Kakashi to glance back down to Sasuke, who much to his surprise was beginning to stir; his eyelid's flickered as his nose and mouth twitched. Kakashi took a step back as the boy let out a small whine and began to move some more.
Sasuke's eyelids fluttered before they snapped open, his dark eyes glazed over with lazy confusion as his head lolled. He let out a small gruff as his hand rose up to lazily rub at his eyes, but after a moment he seemed to realize something was a miss, or different and began sniffing at the air. He looked at his hand, staring in confusion as his lips curved into a frown.
Another confused whine was emitted as his hand covered his face quite roughly, and then went to his hair; his other hand went to his head as well as his eyes took in the hair covering the floor, and the lack of it on him. His hands rubbed over his face roughly and growled, before he froze.
Between splayed fingers over his eyes he stared up at Kakashi with those dark eyes of his.
Kakashi stared back, observing him carefully.
Sasuke continued to stare through his fingers as his knees slowly drew up to his chest, from which a purr rumbled and reverberated around the small tiled room. The sound grew until he let out a small growl.
"Its okay Sasuke, you're safe" Kakashi spoke softly, and guessed with some vain hope that the boy recognized him from earlier.
Whether Sasuke listened or not he didn't know; the boy's eyes darted around the room quickly taking in the new environment as he sniffed again, before he suddenly flung out an arm to the side, knocking the towel rail. He then flinched and let out a surprised yelp as the rail and towel collapsed to the floor with a loud clutter.
"It's alright" Kakashi mumbled, feeling a bit like it was useless anyway – it seemed Sasuke wouldn't listen or understand anyway. He bent down, picking up the fallen items and Sasuke scrambled away, pressing himself in the space between side of the bath and the sink as he let out a whimper.
With a frown, Kakashi turned and faced Sasuke, "Come on out from there, please 'Suke… we need to finish off cleaning you" he sighed feeling a bit like it was useless – it seemed Sasuke wouldn't listen or understand anyway.
Sasuke prodded at a nearby clump of hair on the floor.
Sasuke glanced heavenwards before rubbing at his eyes. He had to dress Sasuke at some point as well, but when should he get the clothes – and what clothes could he get for the boy? Anything he owned would be ridiculously huge and hang off the boy – if they didn't suffocate or weigh down the tiny frame.
Sasuke flicked the hair and it slid along the smooth floor a short distance. He tilted his head as he viewed the cut hair; in his little mind they were like the rats back at the place that had been 'home' until today.
He's harmless enough Kakashi thought, much calmer than he was before; if he was going to attack he would have done it long before now. I doubt he can even think what this room is, let alone how to plan an attack.
"Okay" Kakashi sighed, "I'm…going to trust you, and leave you just for a second" he said aloud, already deciding he could at least get one of his t-shirts on Sasuke to cover him for now. "So…don't freak out or anything for the second I'm gone, okay" he added hastily.
He turned and grabbed the door handle, looking back at Sasuke, to find him staring back as if suddenly realizing he was leaving but for an unknown reason.
"Stay" Kakashi said and winced mentally at this – so far it was hard to tell what he was dealing with; a boy of fifteen or an animal.
Sasuke blinked.
Kakashi sighed and decided to risk it, quickly leaving the room and shutting the door to behind him. His room was just on the opposite side of the hallway so he quickly dove in, practically leaping to the wardrobe; he didn't want to risk leaving the boy alone for too long. Who knew what damage he could do to that room, let alone himself? He was vaguely aware of some movement and purring within the bathroom.
Grabbing a clean black t-shirt, he quickly went back across the hall and opened the bathroom door.
He did a double take, eyes widening, as he grabbed onto the doorframe.
Kakashi frowned at the boy who was sat in the middle of the bathroom, seemingly unabashed and careless of the newly formed puddle he was currently sat in. He stared back up at Kakashi with a blank expression, like nothing had happened.
"Oh god" Kakashi quietly muttered to himself, cringing at the situation for both himself and the oblivious Sasuke, whilst briefly shutting his eyes. Well, at least Sasuke needed to get in the bath again anyway.