A/N: We had a good look at this virus. It's kind of cool since the victims are still alive when they get this...but they do die. As we saw.

I will leave you all to read this by saying poor poor Kakashi. (the only hint I can give you) Enjoy and please review.

Chapter 7: Sickness

He forgot what day it was...was it Tuesday or Thursday? He had no clue. All he really knew was the pain in his arm was getting worse.

Water was easy to find but the wound was destined to get infected. Walking to a tree he leaned against it and tried to fight the groan developing in his throat.

I wouldn't be surprised if I have what he had. Stupid Hatake you should have been more carefull. But nooo instead you tried to use brute force to win. A great genius you are.

He knew he had to find help and soon. The first night he was fine but a night later he was breaking out in cold sweats and nasty nightmares. The fever hadn't gone since then and he had often found himself wandering around as though in a daze.

How long has it been since I ate something? Too long but even the nearest village wouldn't let me in. Not like this.

Now he knew why those nin were so keen on killing he and Genma when they first entered the country. But the mention of the Akane girl had been too good to be true.

(FLASHBACK)

Racing through the trees Kakashi had one target and only one target in mind. He wasn't on any missions currently but this he regarded as his own mission.

"I'll find you and make you talk...I need to know where the hell you came from and how you can elude me."

Sensing the hair on the back of his neck stand on end Kakashi froze on the spot. All he needed to do now was lure her to his trap.

It had been a year of playing cat and mouse with the mysterious woman, and now that he worked out she was a woman then all he had to do was work out where she came from and why they look like Konohoa's ANBU squad. Though he was surprised by her strength he soon came to realize it wasn't real strength. She used speed at the same time. Yes she was strong for a woman but not much more than him, it would be easy to over power her.

A shadow flitted over his head and he followed it with his eyes.

"There you are."

"OI HATAKE!"

"Shit!"

"What do you want?" Kakahsi snapped turning on the spot.

In front of him was an ANBU wearing a ferret mask

He should have known it was Shiranui Genma...the man was relentless when he wanted to dig his nose into things he shouldn't.

"Now look here brat! I came here to tell you we have a meeting for a new mission in three hours that's all, and knowing you this should be enough time for you to show up on time."

"Well if that's all then leave me alone." He wanted him gone so he could complete his self assinged mission.

But he wouldn't leave.

"What are you doing this deep in the forest? Are you training?"

"No!" Kakashi snapped moving away from the ANBU and grabbing a few branches and ripping them off out of frustration.

"Then what, you don't have any missions."

"I'm busy okay!"

"Why not tell me and I'll go away."

"Fine, I'm hunting something."

The nin seemed rather interested by this reply. "Like what maybe I can help you."

"No then it wouldn't come out of hiding, it has to be me and only me."

The ninja placed his hands on his hips and sighed. "What kind of animal would differentiate me from you?"

"Well a dog for one." Kakashi snapped yet again. Normally he wasn't one to have bad moods but Genma had come at the worst time, if he didn't get rid of him his chances of catching the girl were slim.

"Heh heh heh okay you got me there. Are you sure you want to look for this thing alone...is it a dog?"

"No." Kakashi was now getting annoyed and he tried hard not to fidgit.

"Is it a cat?"

"No...are we done with twenty questions?"

"Not until you tell me what you're looking for."

"A frog, now are you happy."

"A frog? That's a very smart frog then. Fine I guess I'll let you look for your frog" and with that he disappeared with a 'poof'.

Kakashi groaned. The man didn't believe him. Who would be out deep in the woods looking for a frog? No one, they'd never find it.

Suddenly he heard laughter. "A frog Hatake now that's a smart animal! Why not say you were looking for a worm!"

It was her, she was above him. Looking up Kakashi caught sight of the ANBU he was chasing. Warped around her was a red cape-like cloak with flames along the hem. He couldn't help but remember his sensei when he saw that cloak. He wondered if it was really hers.

"This time you won't win."

"I wouldn't bet my life on that if I was you."

"I'm getting tired of this game." He threw the branches down.

"And I'm not, you're point?"

"That's it you're done for!" With that as his final reply he took off and ran up a tree to reach her and took up the chase.

She was fast and that was the weak-point he had to work on. His speed was good but her's was a lot better. If she kept at her current pace he would never catch her.

"You know I used to love to play tag as a kid." The girl laughed, she was now to his left...how?

"I don't care."

"I think you do, after all you answered me." The woman laughed. She answered as though speaking to a small child. That was annoying. He was not a child, he never was.

"Stop teasing." Kakashi hated that too, her mind games. She was good at them but made her games too obvious.

Keeping up he managed to dodge a few branches she had maneuvered him into and even managed to avoid a cliff wall that seemed to loom out of nowhere. But still he couldn't get closer to her.

He wondered where all her stamina came from, it was as if she had an infinate amount of chakra stored in her body.

Suddenly something occurred to him...he had been through this part of trees already. She was running him around in circles.

"Shit" He cursed. Somehow she was leading him somewhere.

Stopping Kakashi landed on a broad tree branch and clutched his knees, trying to catch his breath for a moment. This was ridiculous, a chase was not his style; he was more suited for ambush. Taking a step to leap off the branch a trap was activated and knocked his feet out from under him, leaving him dangling from both feet.

"Damn it."

"Ha ha ha ha ha that's great. I wasn't sure if that would work but it did." The woman landed on the branch in front of him. Of course the length of the rope only let him see her knees down so he was out of luck if he got to see her face or at least her mask.

"You did this!" He roared.

"Um no you did. You're the one hanging in your own trap." And he knew she was smiling about this. He was a genius but what good is a genius if he gets caught by his own trap? His ego was bruised and it was his own fault.

"Get me down!" he demanded loudly.

"Geeezzz so demanding. Why should I? You'll just kill me anyways. I think I'm safe with you hanging there." He suppressed a growl but could manage to keep the scorn from his voice. If he tried to come down now she could eaily pick him off.

"Where are you from?"

"Fire Country." She answered easily as she crouched down to his level.

"Liar." He spat.

"No I was born here."

"So what! What country are you working for?"

"Who cares?" She titled her head in a way that made her seem almost birdlike. He couldn't help but think it made her look cute. There was no way he was going to let her get away with this.

"How old are you?" He felt stupid asking these questions but anything could be useful in finding her identity. Besides what else could he do if he was hanging by his feet, it wasn't like she was ignoreing his questions.

"Hmm ninteen I think."

"You're only nineteen?" He was shocked for her level of skill she should be in her mid twenties.

"Why is there something wrong with that?" she asked as she sat down making it easier on his neck. "What about you?"

"Twenty-one."

"Hahahahaha that's great! Heh I thought you were way older than that with all that gray hair on your head."

"HEY!" Deftly the girl dodged his swipe.

"What good would it do you if you caught me now you still have to get down."

He wanted down and he wanted down NOW!

"Damn it, you're useless." He muttered

"Well I'm not supposed to be useful to you especially if you treat me as an enemy."

"Isn't that what you are?"

"Hmm lightly put. NO!" with that she left and from the way she left he knew she wouldn't be back...

He knew he had to find her some how. It was her he knew it. The odd woman was this Akane person that Genma seemed to know. But now that he looked back on it, she wouldn't know who he was anymore. She probably thought he was dead.

Shaking his head Kakashi cut the last thought out of his mind.

Damn I sound like I'm interested in this woman. I'm an idiot. Getting attached to people is the last thing I need. They'll only die anyways.

Iruka raced through the tress as fast as his feet could take him. It seemed lately that was all they did. Raidou was having troubles keeping up but considering the situation they had no choice but to move at that pace.

When did he get so fast. i can barely keep up. He's moving more like Hatake-san. Where is he pulling the chakra from? Riadou was tired and Iruka's chosen pace was grueling to say the least.

"Wait Iruka please."

"Can you hold on a bit longer? We'll reach the village by sundown." He could see that the hunter wanted to get there soon and he was going to make it as grueling as he can if it means they get there on time. Somethings just never change.

But something caught his attention. "No we need to stop and we need to now."

What Raidou saw made his heart sink. There laying in a field was what he thought was Kakashi. He didn't look good either.

"What's the matter?" Iruka asked as he landed next to the red haired man.

"Put your mask on and don't talk."

"Um okay..but why?"

"Trust me you'll see. Something is wrong."

Kakashi couldn't move anymore. He didn't want to. Everytime he tried the world would spin and he'd be sick in seconds.

He had long since discarded his ANBU mask as well as the usual one. All he wanted was fresh air and even that wasn't good enough.

His arm ached unbearably and every vein in his body was screaming. The only thing that remained normal was his chakra and he hated it for that.

Can't my chakra be messed up too? Everything hurts. I don't care anymore if I die now or later I just want the pain to go.

He knew better not to lie in an open field but this was better than sitting in a tree...where he could fall out and fall on his head.

Something caught his attention, a shadow coming towards him.

Pulling out a kunai Kakashi readied himself, which was a sight since he was flat on his back already.

"Damn head!" He muttered as his vision blurred yet even more.

"Who's there?" He called. It was a bold move but he was nearly blind.

"A friend. Please relax Kakashi-san." The voice pleaded.

But they had tricked him before and there was no way he was going to go down with them without a fight.

"I think he's going to fight us off! We need to keep him down!" The man yelled to his hidden comrade.

Kakashi shook his head again trying to clear his vision but nothing seemed to work. To make things worse his ears were ringing.

"Come any closer and I'll kill you." He tried to sound seriosu but it came out more as a wimper than anything.

"Do you think it's set in?"

"No this is him talking he's telling us to back off. Stop talking."

"Sorry"

Kakashi was sure he recognized the second voice but he was unsteady with all his senses. No matter how nice they may sound he knew better than that.

I can't see clearly nor can I smell them from here. I'm not going to back down. Any minute they'll jump me and finish me. I don't want to die like that but if I have to I'll fight until I can't. uuuggghhh my head...

Slowly the world around him was getting grayer ad grayer...he had to fight it. There was no was he was going to let them kill him...but soon the darkness over took him and everything went blank.

TBC...