Here we go with a lovely fluffy chapter! Thanks again to the katydid001 for your amazing beta work.
Katsumi woke with a drawn-out stretch, triggering the dull throb in her chest once more. She cursed herself as she tried to soothe the pain in her sternum with her hand. The healing was going well and the pain had decreased dramatically from when she woke yesterday. A yawn forced its way out of the tired kunoichi's mouth as she shuffled herself into a seated position. The sun beat through the hospital window, alerting Katsumi to the fact that it was midday.
Obito? Her chest tightened with worry, giving the girl pause as she tried to get a grip on her emotions. Last night's antics flashed through her mind causing her lips to tilt upwards. Katsumi swung her legs off of the bed and let them dangle there in the air.
The door to her room clicked before creaking open. Kushina poked her head around the door and smirked. "Good to see you awake, pup."
Katsumi's face lit up as her sensei entered the room, the red-head's hand clenched around the strap of a rucksack.
"Here are your clothes. Your brother picked them out, so I take no blame for whatever is in there." The older kunoichi placed the bag beside her student and smirked. "Tsunade-sama chided me about your escapades last night. Impressive stuff. Though I would rather you refrain from life-threatening stunts for a while." Kushina ruffled the mess of silver atop Katsumi's head.
Katsumi smiled back sheepishly before opening up the bag and pulling out her clothes. Her hands retreated from the sack pulling with it a pair of grey sweatpants. The preteen smirked before dragging out the rest of her outfit, pleased that Kakashi hadn't packed anything stupid like a dress. She couldn't help but shudder at that thought.
"Do you think you can manage? Or does my little apprentice need some help?"
The wolf-nin shook her head furiously, clutching the clothes to her chest instinctively. 'I think I can manage.' She signed to her sensei, and swung her legs in the air as she waited for Kushina to leave the room. Kushina spun around to face the wall, her arms crossed over her chest.
Katsumi sighed in defeat before getting to work. The young kunoichi knew that this was her sensei's way of saying she was under watch. This, of course, didn't surprise her, considering she abandoned her mission and almost got herself killed, twice. With a deep breath she hopped down to the floor to finish dressing, slipping on her sandals last.
Kushina chanced a glance over her shoulder, happy to find her student dressed and making her hospital bed. Her prodigy was clad in sweatpants and one of her signature vest shirts with the mask attached. She turned back to her student and grabbed the empty bag. "Now that that is over, let's get out of here." With a strong hand on her back she guided Katsumi to the door.
'Do I get to go home?' The silver girl's signs seemed to overflow with enthusiasm.
"Actually, Tsunade-sama needs to see you before we go." Kushina replied, still guiding her student with her hand.
Katsumi huffed as she hurried along the hallways. She was already concocting a plan in her mind to come back and find Obito. In fact, she was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice when her sensei stopped them outside of a hospital room.
"We are here." Kushina smirked down at her student's cute and quizzical expression, before placing her palm on the door and sliding it open.
Katsumi's face lit up when the room opened enough for her to comprehend what was inside. "B-b-ut you said-"
Kushina cut her off, "I lied. Go get 'em, short- stuff." Her firm hand pushed the small kunoichi forward.
It took less than five seconds for Katsumi to make it to the side of the hospital bed, where Obito lay. He was no longer strapped down, which filled the kunoichi with hope. The casts and seals from last night were replaced with various bandages holding his right side together. It was a massive improvement from the last time she saw him. She was pleased to note that his left eye was no longer covered up, not that there was an eye in there anyway. At least, that's what she thought until said eyelid fluttered open. A dark onyx eye focused on her, followed by a happy chuckle.
"Looks like you were right, Katsumi-chan. I must be invincible." His voice came out husky and rough, pain clear in his tone. "Though I got to tell ya, being invincible is fucking painful."
The silver-haired girl giggled at this before rubbing the back of her neck. "Pain means we are alive." She found herself speaking aloud. In that moment she could care less about her fears. Warm fingers interlaced with her own. Katsumi's heterochromatic eyes glanced down at their hands, smiling gently under her mask.
"The surgery went well, though I still can't move yet. But at least I don't have that fucking swamp plant attached to me anymore." Obito turned his good eye to his right side, relief clear on his face.
"Did Tsunade-sama give you a new eye?" Katsumi asked curiously, leaning closer to inspect the new addition.
"Yeah." Obito's cheeks flushed at her close proximity. "She said something about needing everything in place before putting my body through the shock of surgery. It's just an ordinary eye but I mean, it works." The teen shrugged before cursing his own stupidity as pain flooded his body.
Katsumi gripped his hand tighter and ran the back of her fingers across his cheek in an attempt to distract the injured boy. It worked like a charm, bringing Obito's attention swifty back to her; his blush deepening.
"When they release you I would be happy to help you train. I know you'll be even stronger than before, Obito!" The hand that had been resting on his cheek pulled back and curled into a determined fist.
Obito chuckled at her enthusiasm, relishing in the warmth of her presence. Katsumi glanced back down at her companion, her eyes half-closed in a classic Hatake smile.
Outside of the room the pair heard hushed whispers, followed by a knock on the door. Katsumi stepped back and cocked her head to the side as she waited for the person to announce themselves.
"Come in." Obito spoke up, his lone eye still resting on the kunoichi at his bedside.
Kushina pushed the door open, as Kakashi slipped past her and made his way to his sister's side. His eyes narrowed at their joined hands, but he held his tongue. Katsumi smiled at her brother and waved at him with her free hand; blatantly ignoring his exasperation.
"Glad to see you made it, Obito-kun." Despite the sour look on his face, his tone was sincere. His eyes took in the bandages wrapping around Obito's torso and limbs.
"Yeah, so am I. Tsunade-sama said the transplant was the first of its kind. It's weird knowing I have a dead guy's arm and leg attached to me." Obito let loose a raspy cough before hissing at the sting in his side. "It must have worked because I am beginning to feel my side again. Even if that feeling is pain."
Katsumi snorted in laughter before she covered her mouth in embarrassment. Obito let out a hearty chuckle, which made Kakashi huff. The chemistry between Obito and Katsumi made Kakashi want to gag, even if he was happy to see the Uchiha boy alive.
"So when do you think they'll release you?" Katsumi questioned the injured Uchiha while beaming down at him.
"Well, I have no idea. Apparently they have to observe me closely to make sure the limbs don't get rejected. But if they take, I should be good as new." The teen boy grimaced as he attempted to wiggle his new fingers. To the surprise of everyone in the room, his arm started to twitch.
"Holy shit! It's moving!"
"See! Invincible. I told you!" Katsumi bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. Her other hand moved so that both of hers now cradled Obito's good hand, squeezing enthusiastically.
Kakashi watched his sister's excitement with a slack jaw. Her confidence made Kakashi's chest swell with pride, until he remembered it was Obito she was speaking so freely to. To say he was jealous was a dramatic understatement.
"Alright, pups, time's up. We have a meeting with the Hokage. Obito-kun isn't going anywhere, I promise." Kushina leaned against the archway with her arms crossed, smirking at the awkward scene in front of her.
Kakashi nodded and tugged on his sister's elbow. Katsumi sighed as her shoulders deflated. She sucked in a deep breath before shooting Obito a weary smile. With one last squeeze she released Obito's hand. "I'll see you again." She promised firmly before letting her brother drag her away.
"I'll be up and moving before you know it!" Obito called after them as they disappeared from his line of sight.
"Please stay put, Obito-kun. Or they'll tie you down again." Kushina chuckled at the raven-haired boy's exasperated groan as she drew the door shut with a click.
It took a month for Obito to heal enough to move his new appendages. And a further two weeks to gain enough muscle back to hobble around on a crutch. Katsumi came to visit him in the hospital every day that she could.
The Hokage gave the silver-haired kunoichi a thorough shake down for abandoning her mission before assigning her to six weeks worth of the most boring D-rank missions imaginable. The girl was cleaning gutters, pulling weeds and babysitting. It was everything she hated about being a genin rolled into a month of torture. She relished the end of the day when she was able to hand in her paperwork and head off to the hospital.
It was late in the afternoon when Katsumi handed in her final lot of D-rank paperwork. She gave the shinobi behind the desk a dazzling smile from under her mask before she skipped out of the Hokage building. Finally, she was free from her punishment. Although it did mean the young kunoichi would return to higher risk missions, at least they wouldn't be so mind-numbingly monotonous. Katsumi made her way to the hospital with a spring in her step.
When she reached her destination she slipped right past reception, and headed down the same hallways she had traversed for the past six weeks. Obito's room had been transferred to the first floor when he had regained his ability to walk, so Katsumi didn't have to go far to find it. She rapped her knuckles against his door.
"Come in." A familiar voice replied.
Katsumi cracked the door open and stepped inside. She giggled as she observed Obito standing by his bed resting his weight on his crutches. He appeared to be focusing very hard on his movements as he slowly packed his clothes into a backpack. It was clear that the Uchiha teen was struggling with his clumsy new arm.
The silver girl crossed the room in a heartbeat and took the shirt from his hands. She let out a giggle when he turned to her with a quizzical look on his face, his tongue still sticking out the side of his mouth from when he had been focusing. Without a word she packed his things away and slung the bag over her shoulder.
'So they are finally letting you go?' She signed to him, earning a smirk from the dark-haired teen in front of her.
"Yes, actually. You came just in time to walk me home. Tsunade-sama only just told me. She left about two minutes before you walked in." Obito gripped the handles of his crutches before he started to slowly make his way to the door. One of his legs was obviously more sturdy than the other, but it was a vast improvement from the first time Obito had attempted to stand after the surgery. In fact, he continued to surprise everyone around him with his rapid recovery. He got a lot of motivation from his daily visit from the kunoichi following behind him; the look of pride on her face when he made progress was greater than the achievement itself.
Katsumi ducked around the teen and held the door open for him. Obito nodded in thanks as he hobbled his way into the hall, feeling her presence following close behind.
"So how was your final D-rank? I bet you're glad that's over." The dark-haired shinobi chuckled as he heard the girl beside him groan.
'Remind me to never get on the Hokage's bad side.' Katsumi's signs made Obito laugh once again as they turned another corner.
A tall figure ahead of them gave the silver girl pause. The familiar shinobi stood in the hall speaking with Tsunade in a hushed tone.
"What's wrong Katsumi-chan?" Obito glanced over his good shoulder at his companion who had fallen behind. Even from this distance he could tell she was troubled.
It was then that Orochimaru tossed a bored glance in their direction. Though when he spotted the silver mane of hair his lips seemed to tilt upwards for a split-second before flattening back out again.
Katsumi shook herself from her stupor and pushed forward. When she reached Obito's side once more she stuck very close, her eyes lingered on the long-haired snake-nin as they passed by. Obito liked to think he knew Katsumi very well, so when she almost glued herself to his side he knew something was wrong. He noted the subject of her gaze and furrowed his brows. Concern gripped him but he gritted his teeth, deciding to keep his questions until they were at least out of the hospital building.
Their journey to Obito's apartment was rather drawn out. His limping pace was a vast contrast to the speed of a Katsumi's usual rooftop travels. After a few too many apologies from the Uchiha boy, Katsumi threatened to carry him if he didn't shut up. Not only did this earn her a hearty laugh but it also stopped Obito from belittling himself for his body's weakness.
When they eventually reached their destination, Obito reached into his pocket and pulled out his key. Katsumi smiled before taking the key from him and sliding it into the lock. She gave it a firm twist and the door clicked open.
Obito turned to his friend and smiled. "Ladies first."
Katsumi gave a loud snort before shaking her head. 'I ain't no lady. Besides I need to make sure you don't fall.' She replied with her hands, before helping to guide him through the doorway.
Once they were inside Katsumi shut the door behind her. She dropped the pack to the ground and made her way over to the window, sliding the curtains apart to let in the afternoon sun.
Obito marveled at the girl in front of him, her figure glowing in the light. Her curls were choppy and bounced as she turned to glance over her shoulder, unaware of the way her mismatched eyes sparkled. Obito took it all in, his mouth suddenly dry from the captivating sight before him.
Blissfully ignorant, Katsumi turned back to the window before her, reaching up to unlatch the glass and slide it open. The cool breeze that followed served to shake the awestruck Uchiha out of his daydream and back to reality.
"Uh, I need some water, would you like a glass?" The dark-haired teen headed to the kitchen before Katsumi could reply either way. Not that she minded, but she did wonder why he sounded so flustered all of a sudden.
Obito reached up to pull a glass out from a cupboard with his weak hand, angling his tongue to keep his focus. He successfully placed the cup on the counter before repeating the same action. Katsumi smiled gently as she watched him move purposefully. She didn't move to help him, knowing that this was all a part of his recovery process.
"You seemed troubled back at the hospital when you saw Orochimaru-sama. Do you know him?" Because Obito had his back to his companion he completely missed the confused look that washed over her face.
"Not really. I met him once before, but I'm interested to know how you know him." Katsumi came to stand beside him as she spoke out loud once more, much more confident in her voice now that they were truly alone.
Obito filled one of the glasses with tap water before handing it to Katsumi with a smile. "Well, he helped Tsunade-sama with the surgery. He doesn't speak much and he's a little creepy, but he had knowledge that Tsunade-sama needed to make the transplant possible. So he must be important."
Katsumi took the glass with a thoughtful expression before absentmindedly pulling down her mask to take a sip. A crash startled the preteen out of her brooding. She looked over at her companion only to find him cursing as he stared into the sink, a blush stained his cheeks pink as he stared down at the broken glass.
"Are you okay, Obito?" She gently took his hand as he went to reach for the shards of glass, pulling it away before he actually hurt himself.
"Uh, I just…" the awkward teen cleared his throat as he observed the kunoichi delicately pluck every jagged piece from the sink before placing them in a pile on the kitchen bench. "Your um face caught me off guard is all…"
The silver girl snickered at this as she looked around for something to place the glass in so she could dispose of it safely. "How about I give you a warning next time, hm?" Her tone was playful, purposefully keeping her mask dangling around her neck. She finally disposed of the glass before washing her hands thoroughly just in case any remained on her skin.
Obito chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck with his good hand. It took all of the boy's strength to keep from staring at her features too long. He tried to focus on anything besides her face, but it didn't matter where he looked. Everything about this kunoichi was distracting. A glass was pushed into his line of sight, followed by the face of a curious Katsumi.
"I still have my water. You said you were thirsty… here." Without prompting she reached up to press the glass to his lips.
The teen's grip on his crutches tightened exponentially as he fought to keep his balance. Katsumi wore a cheeky smile as she tilted the glass higher so that the water tipped towards Obito's parted lips. He greedily gulped down every last drop, his eyes closing in satisfaction as the water soothed his parched throat.
Watching Obito's expression as he drank filled Katsumi with pride. The relief in his posture was immediate, adding to her triumphant mood. She stepped back and held the cup to her chest. Her sea-glass eyes flickered from the cup in her hands back up to Obito's face. Even with his face half-wrapped in bandages, his expression was still clear as crystal. Their eyes locked as they stood there, a million different questions running through both of their minds.
"Should I put my mask back on?" She cocked her head to the side with a mischievous smile.
"NO!" Obito's dramatic cry had Katsumi clutching her stomach in a hearty fit of laughter.
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