disCLAIMER: While I do not own Naruto nor any affiliated subjects therein, Kishimoto-sama does and therefore he owns my soul.
Chapter 9: Baths and Babbling
Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke.
"All right!" Kaori sat up quickly and swatted at whoever was jabbing her forehead. That was a regrettable decision, for her body cried out with aches from sleeping on the floor. Naruto stood over her, eyes slitted at her state.
"What happened to you?"
Kaori stood slowly, painfully aware that along with the aches from the floor, she had aches from being soaked and cold. Her knuckles were cracked and caked with dried blood. She was still damp and her hair was a huge mess. She rubbed the gunked make-up from her eyes.
"If it wasn't for your clothes, I'd say you were in a fight last night." Naruto stepped beside her and opened the door. He grabbed her arm and shoved her inside. Kaori was still dazed, standing in Naruto's apartment, unable to comprehend what was happening. Naruto sighed and steered her towards the bathroom and began drawing a bath. He disappeared a moment, then returned with a set of white pajamas.
"Take a long, hot bath," he ordered as he poured soap into the steaming water. It began foaming nicely. "Then we'll talk about why you are acting like a zombie and why you were on my doorstep this morning." Naruto closed his door on his way out, and then there was silence. Kaori slowly undressed, then sank into the tub. It took several minutes before she could move otherwise, but eventually she was able to wake up and clean. She drained the tub and started changing into the pajamas when she heard a knock. A door opened.
"Sakura-chan!"
"We have a mission today. You didn't show, but you're supposed to go with me. I stopped by Sasuke's place because he's supposed to go too, but he's ill."
Kaori pressed her ear to the door.
"Ill? Yeah, right. Why doesn't he have you or Tsunade fix him up?"
"He says we can't help him and he just needs rest. He claims it was too much stress."
Stress. Yeah right. But Kaori couldn't help but feel guilty.
"I'll be there in a few minutes. Gotta take care of something first." Naruto shut the door, at which point Kaori opened the bathroom door.
"Oh! Kaori. I've got a mission, but I want to take care of you first." Naruto gestured for her to sit on his sofa, which Kaori sank into gingerly. "You look better. Need anything to eat or drink?"
Kaori shook her head. "I'm okay," she said hoarsely.
"So, what happened last night?"
Kaori started with dressing up for the test, having the test, ruining the test, and running away from the Academy. She left out the part with Sasuke, still feeling oddly guilty about hurting him the way she did. It was probably really embarrassing for him.
"Eh, but wouldn't it have been smarter just to go home and get cleaned and warmed up?" Naruto's eyes were slits as he reprimanded her foolishness.
"Yeah, I know, but last night I wasn't thinking too clearly." Kaori looked at the wounds on her hands. "Where were you anyway?"
"Oh, I was on a date with Hinata!" Naruto said proudly. Kaori raised a brow. Naruto saw her reaction and raised his hands. "Oh, no, we didn't do anything! We went to her house to watch a movie and ended up falling asleep. Neji got up at six in the morning to work out and found us. He suggested I get home before her father found out I fell asleep over there." Naruto shrugged his shoulders in embarrassment. "I don't like Hiashi-sama very much."
"I'm glad you guys had a good time. I really tried to. I'm just a screw up." Kaori put her head in her hands and sighed. Naruto watched her with pity, wishing he could stay and cheer her up.
"Look, Kaori. You can stay here today if you want. Iruka-sensei'll probably have someone watching your apartment. I don't know how long this mission'll take, but really, it's okay for you to stay."
"Thanks Naruto." Kaori gave him a tentative hug. She really did ache all over. "I probably won't be here when you get back. Working and all."
"Then I'll stop by. Later." And he was gone.
Kaori lay down on Naruto's sofa, which wasn't all that comfortable. She had this intense nagging guilt about Sasuke being "ill" at home and unable to go on missions. What if she'd done some permanent damage? She only wanted to be cruel when she meant it.
"Damn it." Kaori sat up, unable to sit with that guilt in the bottom of her stomach. She didn't have any clothes, and she couldn't go back to her apartment. She'd settle for whatever Naruto had. Which was mostly repeats of his current style of clothing. She found a black pair of pants identical to the ones that lay crumpled on the floor. She used some wire to hold them up on her waist. She found a faded orange and black jacket that looked too small for Naruto. She also found a pair of sandals that were in pretty good shape and fit her well. He must have outgrown that pair too quickly to damage them much. He didn't have any bandana-like objects to put over her hair nor any hair-holding objects to keep it out of the way. The guy didn't even have a pencil in his apartment. So she settled with braiding her wet hair and tying the end with a piece of wire. She felt much better than the night before.
The dress hang limply on the back of a chair. Kaori felt another stab of guilt, this time for breaking her promise of bringing the dress back in mint condition. She really was a failure. Not all-around...just in Konoha.
She made sure Naruto's door was locked, for she figured if her plan didn't work, she could resolve to go home. No, not home. Just where she lived. She made one or two friends here, but she didn't belong. She probably never would after last night. There was another cringe at that memory.
Odd looks were shot at her as she asked around for Sasuke's place, mostly for the familiar clothing she wore. That was going to spread even more rumors. Yup, and she had to get over it. She was finally given specific directions to his apartment, which was on the top floor of one of the nicest places in Konoha. Apparently he couldn't bear to stay where his family was murdered, but he wouldn't settle for anything less than the best either.
Kaori stood outside his door, debating whether or not she really wanted to apologize. She thought of his silly fan girls and what they might do to her when they found out the Uchiha could no longer father children. Stabbing guilt. Drat. She knocked.
There was a moment, then, "Who is it?"
"Um, Akumako Kaori."
There was more silence, then a click as the door unlocked and opened. Sasuke's eye peered through the crack.
"What...do...you...want?"
"I, uh, wanted to apologize for hurting you last night," Kaori said, trying not to hurry and sound insincere. "I wouldn't normally attack a guy in that manner, and would only do so as a last resort. I realize this is no excuse, but I wasn't entirely myself last night after...failing a test. I heard you were ill and thought...well, I really am sorry."
Sasuke stared at her unblinkingly.
"I know I'm not like Godaime or Sakura-san, but I know some things about helping people out. Please, even if you don't forgive me, can you allow me to help you until you're better? You really should have someone to take care of you."
"Why should I trust you?"
Kaori looked down, then met his black eyes evenly. "Because Naruto does."
Sasuke slowly closed his door. There was a sliding noise, then he opened the door all the way. He silently limped back to his spot on the couch. Kaori tentatively entered, closing the door quietly behind her. The curtains were drawn, causing fleeting shadows to dance in the far-off corners of the large apartment. Kaori stared at the biggest television she'd ever seen, displaying a news channel on mute. Sasuke sat on his very comfortable-looking couch, all the while looking very uncomfortable. He held a melted ice pack over his groin.
"Do you have another one of those?" Kaori asked. Sasuke closed one eye and gave her a look. "Tch, I meant an ice pack." Sasuke nodded and pointed to his kitchen.
Kaori was quite impressed. There was a bar lined with stools, and through the door frame she could see a wonderfully huge kitchen. If Ichiraku had a place like this...Even the decor followed a rich pattern of blues and silver and black. And the place was immaculate. No dirty dishes were to be found. Of course, Sasuke probably hadn't made himself a meal since yesterday. She took a fresh ice pack out of the fridge and grabbed the towel strung through the handle. She handed the wrapped pack to Sasuke and took the old one from him. He made to remove the towel but she stopped his hand.
"Your sweatpants aren't thick enough to protect you right," Kaori explained. "You wouldn't want to freeze it off, would you?" Sasuke gave her a glare but obeyed anyway. Kaori returned to the kitchen, then leaned over the bar.
"Are you hungry? I can make you something. Actually, all I can make is ramen. Or I could learn something else, but that would probably take too long."
"I don't have any ramen."
"Fine. I'll look around." Kaori noticed a large bowl with several varieties of fruit. If she knew how to do anything, it was cut things up. She prepared a salad and took two bowls back into the living room. Sasuke ignored her offered bowl, so she set it on the end stool. She plopped onto the couch next to him, happily munching her fruit. After a few minutes of very uncomfortable silence, Kaori felt herself snap.
"Okay. I came to your door, practically on my knees asking for forgiveness, offering my services to you, and now you haven't said one word. Not even something snotty."
"Why should I feel the need to talk to you?" Sasuke sneered.
You deserved to be kicked in the balls. Instead of that Kaori said, "Naruto and Sakura are worried about you. They think you're all weird or something. Maybe you just need someone to talk to?"
"If I was to talk to anyone, why would it be you?"
"Fine. I'll talk. I'll talk and talk and tell you my whole life so that you'll be bored enough to talk about yourself. Or something else. I did offer to help."
Sasuke continued to stare at the television. Then, "What are you doing here? In Konoha?"
Kaori felt her irritation fade. She recalled the night before with much humility. "Honestly, I don't know. I thought, I mean Temujin thought, I mean..." Kaori sighed. "You have to understand, where I'm from people like me...because I can do the things you guys can do, with Chakra, I'm considered...a freak. Most of the time others with gifts hide them so they won't be persecuted like me. I'm like the most well-known freak in the country. And that's just because of her." Kaori set her bowl on the coffee table and crossed her legs, staring at the light the tv cast on the floor.
"Who?" Sasuke picked up his bowl of fruit salad and began to eat.
"My mother," Kaori said, unable to hide the irony in her voice. "From what the old hags tell, she showed up one stormy night, bursting with a child, and died even as it was born. She was a foreigner with no wedding band. I don't know why they...maybe it's because they thought I killed her, or maybe something strange happened at the time...but they named me Akumako. I don't know how they allowed me to survive, because my earliest memory was living underneath a stairwell. When I was six I named myself Kaori to keep from going insane. What kid wants to be called 'demon child'?"
"No one is aware that entire countries are based on the Chakra power of its people?" Sasuke felt his question made no sense, but neither did Kaori's story. People who considered ninjas freaks?
"Where I'm from, all that ever happens is war. I killed a man when I was seven. I had holed up inside a shed, and when a sect overran the village, I protected what little I had. I didn't mean to kill him. He just came at me, and I held my hands out and...killed him with this." Kaori held up her palm, from which protruded a blue blade of Chakra. "Too bad many other people saw what I did and that branded me a freak forever." Kaori allowed an odd smile, which Sasuke found rather creepy. She stared wide-eyed at nothing.
"I never cried. Not once. They said I didn't cry as an infant either. I don't think I can cry even if I wanted to. I saw lots of children and adults cry. I thought because I never did, I was strong. They were mere puppets of flesh. I was...special." Kaori blinked, as if waking from a daydream. "Then I found out I was special enough to go to a foreign country and train with others who are special. But now that I'm here, I can see...I'm nothing compared to the people here. Naruto, Sakura, Neji...you." Kaori revealed her former illiteracy and Iruka's kindness, Naruto's plans for her training, and Suzume's test from hell. Sasuke tried to keep from smiling at the last tale, but it ended up as a smirk despite his best efforts.
"Kakashi said that to you?"
"Yes, and it's not funny. That's where all my doubt started. No, maybe it was when we met Lee and Neji. Or maybe when Temujin told me we were going to Konohagakure. Damn it, I don't know."
"Do you think we didn't work hard to be what we are?" Sasuke painfully shifted himself so he could face Kaori more comfortably. "I had to grow up in my brother's shadow. Everything he did was expected of me. 'Itachi graduated the Academy at age seven, why don't you?' 'Itachi bested Chuunins to become an ANBU captain at age thirteen, why don't you?'" Sasuke gritted his teeth and turned away. "They wanted me to be just like him...and then he killed them all." Sasuke closed his eyes and seemed to debate something within. "I still have nightmares."
Kaori felt ill. She'd though Sasuke was just a bastard, but he seemed to have good reason to be a jerk. And she'd prattled on like her past was such a bad thing. She'd never lost anything. Except for one thing...
Sasuke continued, almost painfully, telling of his quest to become stronger so that he might kill Itachi. He tried to kill Naruto, but couldn't bring himself to do it. He served under Orochimaru for years, gaining power until he had killed Itachi. Orochimaru tried to kill him, but Sasuke beat him to a pulp and left him to die. And he had somehow wandered back to Konoha, where ANBU members caught him and brought him before Tsunade.
"I'd never met the lady until that moment, and she's the scariest woman I've ever encountered," Sasuke admitted. He looked at Kaori, who was staring at him wide-eyed, gripping a pillow tightly to her chest.
"Heh, it's not that great of a story."
Kaori shook her head. "I just...I didn't know...I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. You had nothing to do with it." Sasuke tried to heave himself up. Kaori gripped his arm and helped haul him to a standing position.
"Yeah, but I wondered about a kunai up your ass. I didn't realize it was in your heart."
Sasuke paused a moment to stare down at Kaori, who looked about questioningly.
"What are we doing?"
"Got to piss." Sasuke wobbled to the bathroom and shut the door. Kaori flopped on the couch and stared at the ceiling. God, she was an idiot. She'd have to remember to keep her fat mouth shut. As Sasuke crept back toward the couch, Kaori winced when he did.
"I really am sorry Sasuke."
"I wasn't going to kill you."
"Yeah, but, I didn't know that." Kaori felt herself slowing down, after-effects of lack of rest the night before. Sasuke was talking about something, and she knew it would be a good idea to listen, but the couch was warm and soft and the voice so deep and hypnotizing...
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Sasuke stopped mid-sentence when Kaori let out a little snort. Her head was tilted back at a seemingly uncomfortable angle as she slept soundly. He felt a flash of irritation, for he'd been recounting his more notable battles, but then smiled as he remembered her amusing story of the flaming kunoichi exam. Sleeping on the floor outside Naruto's apartment could not have been comfortable. Sasuke wondered a moment, for Kaori had failed to mention why Naruto hadn't been home. He stifled a yelp and the wonder flew away as Kaori fell over and dropped her head right on his leg. It didn't cause more than a throb to his crotch, but it was a close call all the same.
As she smacked her lips and continued snoring quietly, Sasuke felt his hand drawn to her hair. He absent-mindedly stroked the white locks, finding his own lids heavy from lack of sleep. His aching groin hadn't allowed him much rest. But now it was feeling much better...
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Her dreams were filled with muddled memories that had resurfaced suddenly. Other memories were mixed in that didn't seem to be her own. As Kaori hovered between sleep and wakefulness, the image of a strong, tan sailor with blond curls entered her thoughts. He was very irritated with her, yet his eyes betrayed his amusement. Kaizoku...he said with warning.
"Mm, Kaizoku," Kaori muttered, rolling over only to connect her cheek with a hip bone. A grunt of discomfort made her eyes snap open. She was staring at a black void of fabric. She looked up and saw Sasuke blinking sleepily. Kaori shot up.
"Ah, whoops, so sorry there. Didn't mean to...are you okay?"
"Yeah," Sasuke yawned. "I didn't have the heart to wake you."
Kaori yelped as the red numbers of the clock radio on the table caught her eye. "Aiyaaaa! I've gotta be at work in ten minutes. You should have woken me up!"
"Well I didn't know," he said simply. Then after a moment as Kaori quickly cleaned up their dishes, "I thought you were going to be of service all day."
"Erm, I forgot that I had to work. You can allow me that much! Besides, I get off at eleven and I'll bring you some ramen. How's that?" Kaori gave him a goofy grin. Sasuke gave her a stern look, which only made Kaori laugh.
"Heh. That's like the look Iruka gives me when..." Kaori paused. "Oh shit. I'm gonna have to go back to school tomorrow. I skipped today because I couldn't...daaaaamn it!" Kaori scratched her head and flew out the door. Sasuke blinked, taken aback by her sudden departure. He felt she took way too much after Naruto. Maybe that was why he liked her.
"Or maybe it's because she'd love to kick your ass if she could," Sasuke muttered to himself as he headed for the shower. He was still achy, but after being coming home in intense pain and soaking clothes, he wasn't in any shape to entertain anyone, even Kaori. Showers could cure just about anything. Except hunger, which his stomach prodded now that it didn't reel every time he moved. Ramen at eleven, he promised, patting his belly as he let the hot shower peel away the grime from the night before.