Kakashi grumbled. She had been dreaming… She focused a bit of chakra in her nose, sharpening her senses. She smelled something earthy that reminded her of Tenzo's Mokuton, but with something smokey, with an undertone of rich chocolate. And the saltiness of tears. Their tears.
She sat up in her bed. A man was here. The man with the orange mask. The one who wore Obito's face. Her heart was beating against her ribcage like a trapped bird.
"Why are you looking so spooked?" a croaky voice asked on her left.
There was a toad and a crow on her bedside the moment she awoke.
"You two…" she hissed. "You set me up!"
Suddenly her head was swimming, and it took a while for the world to stop spinning. She remembered all the details of the man on the windowsill. He was talking and looking at her. He looked so sad… His eyes… The right one was open on a spinning Sharingan, the other was closed. Closed over an empty orbit.
Her given eye was itching.
"Did you make contact?" the toad asked.
She looked around them. There was a silence seal written on the batrachian's back. She sighed. Less chances of being heard that way. So, both Jiraya-Sama and Itachi-San were asking about her whereabouts.
"I made contact with the man. He entered this house a few hours ago, if I can judge from the light."
"He did left Kiri about that time. He was gone for an hour."
"Did he say anything?" the crow asked.
"I don't know…" Kakashi wanted to curl on herself. Who was that man? He could have killed her, but he just laid there… He just laid there and cried on her, muttering words she was to tired to hear. "But I'm quite convinced it was Uchiha Obito."
"Did he do anything to you?" the toad asked then.
"I don't think so." Kakashi send a wave of chakra through her body. Nothing seemed wrong. "He could have hurt me, but he didn't."
"Please don't hesitate to tell us if he… took advantage of your diminished state." The bird sounded embarrassed to spout such ideas. Kakashi closed her eyes. She hadn't been touched by a man in quite a while. She would have known if anyone had…
"No." she whispered. "He did no such thing. He just cried."
"Cried?" the crow asked and cocked his head to the side. "This will sound strange, but Itachi-Sama asked me whether he had had both eyes open and not.
"The right one. The one on his injured side was open." She said without hesitation.
There was a time with silence. Then the toad ordered her to send a summon to Jiraya-Sama if another contact was made with this man. She nodded groggily. The moment the animals disappear, she felt a buzz around her, as if she had unplugged her ears. A few seconds later, her door opened to a woman about her age carrying a plate.
"Oh, you're awake! I'm Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter."
"Hatake Kakashi. Sorry to impose."
"That's quite alright. I heard you saved my father from two ninja attacks."
She left the plate near her. With sluggish moves, Kakashi helped herself to the simple fish and rice dish. It was fresh from the sea. Simple and tasty. She hated the feeling after getting chakra exhaustion. Worse than a hangover.
"Kakashi-Sensei's awake!" Naruto yelled from the corridor.
"Inner voice, you idiot!" Sakura hissed back.
The three Genin entered the room. Tsunami made a little polite bow. Kakashi heard her soft padding across the wooden deck. When she was far enough, she gestured to her supplies pouch and asked them to place a silence seal on the door. After a hesitance, Sakura slapped the paper and send a bit of chakra inside it. A discreet hum surrounded them.
"Okay, I'll assume this is the first time you're using this, guys. This is a silence seal. You've probably used exploding tags and knock-out tags already. This seal is designed to make an area where our conversation cannot be heard. Hear that little buzz? That's all people around will hear from us. Of course, there are ways to circumvent this seal, especially since we're only using one, but it will be enough for the civilians around, or the occasional bandits around here. I assume you've set a perimeter?"
"Yes. Naruto and I checked for direct threats in and outside the house." Sasuke said.
"I even set traps!" the blonde chirped.
"Sakura?" Kakashi prompted.
"I took care of you and installed our gear here."
"Well, that's better than nothing. Not that I don't believe in you guys, but we've been dealing with threats a little bit more important than your usual bandits. And I think our friend Zabuza isn't as dead as he ought to be."
"Don't worry Sensei, I transformed a few shadow clones all around here in insects, and rocks and twigs. They'd tell me if someone went through!"
"Oh, that's beyond what I'd expect for Genin. And quite ingenious." Traps and ingenious plans? Maybe there was something they could do with that little guy, even though there were a lot of mistakes to correct in his stance.
As Naruto was scratching his nose, hiding that large grin that bloomed for the praise he received, Kakashi made some hand signs. Sasuke pouted by his side. He was probably expecting praise as well. In a puff of smoke, Pakkun appeared in the room. Sakura cooed. Kakashi tried not to cringe at the noise.
"Yo, Kakashi! You don't look well, you know?" the dog said.
"Chakra exhaustion." She said. "Anyway, Pakkun meet team seven. Team seven this is my dog summon Pakkun."
"He can talk!" Naruto exclaimed.
"So, can you, and I should be the more surprised" Pakkun replied a bit put out.
"Hey! Sensei, your summon is mean!"
"Pakkun, I'm going to need you to brink the others for me, since I'm low on chakra. I'll need you to take turns between setting a perimeter and training the kids."
"Training us?" Sakura sounded suspicious. "Sensei, you never trained us before."
"I thought you guys would cover that on your own outside our D-Ranks." Kakashi lied easily, because this one had been on her. "Anyways, since you depend a lot on me, but I can't train you myself… I'm trying to come out with ingenious plans. I will be out for a week, and I'm quite sure Zabuza will be as well. So, in the meantime I'll have to get some training into you."
She looked at them. Time to get some debriefing done. She looked at the last Uchiha remaining in Konoha.
"Sasuke, you're the most experimented on this team. Whether it's in Taijutsu or Ninjutsu, your level is what is expected of a seasoned Genin. Your Genjutsu is lacking, but you should get better once you can use your Sharingan. Your biggest problem on a personal level is your lack of chakra control. Regarding team dynamics, you still play solo a lot… You did protect Sakura during the first fight, and you partnered with Naruto, but it is not enough. I know you like to play solo, and in other times, you'd have soared through the ranks. But you will need to rely on them."
Sasuke nodded. She noted that he seemed conflicted over trusting more on his teammates. She made a note to get a solo conversation with him.
"Sakura, you are a textbook ninja. You do everything by heart, but if you haven't noticed it yet: it is worth nothing on an actual battlefield. Your Taijutsu is under average, and it is probably both from a lack of practice and the fact that your eating habits are not good. From day 1, I noticed that you have been limiting your calories intake, and you will need them if you want to get enough muscles. Your Genjutsu is good because you noticed my illusion when we fought the demon brothers. I don't think you have any Ninjutsu under your belt, but that's normal with your level, however it will put you at a disadvantage if you fight against your teammates. Regarding teamwork, you'll need to impose yourself. It's not because Sasuke impresses you, or that Naruto is loud, that you have to keep quiet. Our team is made of damage dealer that will probably endanger themselves. Try to find your place between us, because you are not here to observe."
The girl blushed and turned her head away. She had probably been expecting something else from being in a team with her crush.
"As for you Naruto, I don't know where to begin. Everything is out of balance with you. You have good muscles and reflexes, but your stances are wrong and ineffective. Your chakra is all over the place, yet you've mastered the Kage Bunshin technique, which is a hard technique with a great chakra output. You have an inventive mind, but you only use your brains when damage is already done. Quite like Sasuke, you're playing solo or never considered to include Sakura in your plans. If you don't master the basics, you won't go far. So, we'll have to teach you everything all over again."
Naruto managed to convey a bored gaze, while puffing his cheeks in annoyance.
She asked them to help her up and take off the tag. They wouldn't stand a chance against Zabuza and his help by themselves, but if they planned this right… Outside the house, she could hear her dogs running around, quite happy to get some exercise in a new environment. Sakura managed to produce a pair of crutches for her. Kakashi lead them to a clearing near Tazuna's house.
"First assignment guys: you're going to climb these trees." She said.
"What?! And here I thought you were going to give us a real training!"
Kakashi looked at the pug that accompanied them. Sighing dramatically, Pakkun walked up to a trunk… and kept walking on the vertical surface as if it was a horizontal plane. The dog went up, and up and up, until it reached a branch and sat on it.
"What the… Kakashi-Sensei! Your dog…! He just walked on that tree!"
"Since Naruto does not master the basics, and Sasuke is wasting his chakra, I thought an exercise of chakra control would be nice for the team. With a better chakra control you can more easily do Ninjutsu and avoid wasting it."
"And avoid chakra exhaustion!" the pug added and Kakashi huffed in annoyance.
She expected this would keep them occupied for a while, so that she could go back to her own devices (like sleeping and reading erotica). It worked… but only with the boys who both fell for not putting the right amount of energy. Sakura got everything right the first time.
"This is surprisingly easy." She said with an incredulous laugh.
"Hum…" Kakashi said pensively. "I'll give you something more difficult."
The next moment, the girl was walking across the little pond near the house as if she had done that all her life. She was a natural with chakra. Good to know. Kakashi had not expected that. She started thinking of giving a bone to chew to the little pink girl. Proper Taijutsu classes would have to wait she felt better. She looked at the tight qipao dress on Sakura. And more sensible clothes. She looked at the bright orange sweater on Naruto. Maybe they will make it a team thing.
"By the way, you promised we could play a little" her summon reminded her.
"Oh yeah, I did, didn't I?"
Kakashi looked at how frail Sakura was, as she explained to her teammates how to regulate and redirect chakra in the sole of their feet. They seemed to get better. A bit. Kakashi brought two fingers to her lips and gave a loud whistle. All three Genins jumped. The next minute, eight dogs were lined up before Kakashi. All of them looked very nice in their little blue jacket. Kakashi wondered if she could give matched ones to her new charges. Pakkun grinned at her from Bull's head, a tiny pug on a giant black bulldog.
"Okay, Sasuke and Naruto, keep working with these trees. Guys this girl is Sakura, and she's going to play with you."
"I am?" she asked.
"For real?" Urushi barked, doubt in his voice.
"Don't pull our leg, Kakashi" Shiba sighed.
"Guys, do you have so little faith on me?" Kakashi sighed dramatically.
"Yes." Bisuke said.
"I don't. But I'm used to you playing tricks on us" Akino remarked.
"I don't either." Ūhei declared faithfully.
"Let's play a game!" Guruko exclaimed.
"All the non-believers will go back to perimeter duty. That's for being so mean to me." Kakashi said. "For all the others… Sakura, come here."
She trotted to her Sensei; face scrunched in incomprehension. Behind her Naruto seemed to consider this 'new version of Kakashi-Sensei' weird and too gleeful to be trusted. When Sakura was close enough, Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder. She put on a serious face.
"Sakura…"
"Yes!?" The girl tensed, and so did the dogs.
"You're 'it'."
A moment later, the dogs scattered across the forest with joyous barks. Ūhei let the bewildered Genin chase him for a few minutes before another took his place. Soon enough, she was running around and tumbling across bushes. She'll be fine.
"Okay guys, I'll go back to sleep! Tell me if one of you gets injured."
She slept a few hours after that. The next ones she spent looking at the ceiling, thinking hard. Outside, she heard a splash when her pack managed to get Sakura running on the pond. The girl gave a few shrieks of frustrations. It made Kakashi laugh. A lifetime ago, she had been on that same position.
A lifetime ago when her friend had been alive… A lifetime ago when they had already killed other kids their age. She wished she could spare her own team, but it sounded unlikely.
When the night came, she decided to go for a light sleep. On the futon across hers, Sakura was lying on the floor, her pink hair tangled and bruises across her skin. Tsunami made sure all of them ate a full meal and had a refreshing bath, despite the limited income of their family. Kakashi just waited, her eyes on the windowsill. As if he was going to show up again.
Something itched in her chest, annoying her. She decided to go for a walk. One of the dogs was probably awake at the time. They would bark if anything happened.
She realized she wanted something to happen.
Under the moon, the land was surreal. With slow steps, she navigated on the wooden decks and at the end of one. Kakashi looked at her reflection floating on the water. Clad in a simple yukata with practically no weapons, her grey hair in a loose bun, she didn't look like herself at all.
A swirl. A burst of chakra. A scent… She sensed him at the same time she saw something appear behind her double on the water. She was much too slow. He crouched behind her, holding her wrists. His hold was firm, and she knew she would not be able to break it. She also knew he had layered an illusion around them the moment he landed.
"Don't move." He said. On the water her eyes caught his. Both were open this time. The left one was… strange. A pale opalescent color with circular marks. Another Dôjutsu?
"What do you want?" she asked curtly.
"In general? Many things. Right now, I'm chasing the past." He said.
His arms closed around her and she felt his heat through her clothes. A shiver went up her back. She was vulnerable! But why wasn't he attacking? Why was he just holding her…? She could feel the steady rhythm of his breath on the side of her neck, where his face was buried.
"This has to be a dream…" she muttered to herself.
"Do you want this to be a dream?" he asked.
She was too spooked already. She was afraid that her mind had already decided on an answer, an emotional and dangerous answer.
"I wish this was a dream too." He muttered, "but this is the reality. But don't worry too much, I'll make you a better dream soon."
Her eyes found his again, and the expression on his face froze her to the core. This devoted expression did not belong on Obito's face. Whether this was the real deal, or someone was playing with her on purpose, it frightened her. She had not been afraid for a long, long time.
"When is the last time you dreamt of the future, Kakashi?" he asked. "You've always been tortured by your past. You're hurting inside, I know that."
"How?" she muttered. She never spoke of her nightmares, except with Inoichi.
"A long time ago when I thought you were just a princess waiting to be saved. Mina was your name and you had brown hair and golden eyes."
Another shiver shook her body. He tightened his hold around her, even sitting on the deck and letting his legs dangle on each side of hers. How could he know about Mina? She rarely used that cover, and even rarely had to give it a name. Either he had looked things about her, or…
There was no "or". Obito was dead. Buried under the stone near Kannabi bridge.
"She's still inside you, this princess. Too afraid to care about the people around you because they might disappear, and a part of your heart might vanish with it…"
His hands combed through her hair, taking off every Senbon she had hidden inside and throwing them away. Each needle thrown on the water made a little noise when it sunk.
"I wonder how much of you vanished with me when I was gone?" he muttered against the side of her throat, and she understood she wasn't just prisoner of his arms, but also of eyes. "And how much you'll want back after all this time…"
His hands went more adventurous on the sides of her face, brushing the skin up the mask. His touch burned her. She could not move.
"You're not real. Nothing of this is real." She said, straining against the edges of the illusion, but never finding where it began and where it ended.
"Aaah, so this would be just a dream of yours?" he muttered. "A silly dream of you and I under the moon."
His tone made her shiver once more. He brushed the locks that hid the Sharingan out of view. Both hers and his pulsed in sync, as if part of a whole. She gathered some chakra in it, straining against his illusion once more. But this eye just syphoned her energy and nothing happened. Her head was getting dizzy.
He tutted in disapproval, like mocking a child. A smile strained his lips, too big. His pupils looked blown.
"Stop resisting Kakashi and enjoy the dream. Enjoy having me here, just like you enjoyed having me inside your head for all these years… Dream for me, my dear, as I'm going to dream the entire world anew. Can you imagine? A world where your loved ones are waiting for you. A world of peace where your little students would not have to learn to kill. A world where no one tells you to marry and bear children for the next generation of soldiers…"
Her heart was beating like crazy in her chest. She didn't know what she thought nor what she felt. His deep voice was muttering in her ear, etching a future that did not exist. He described the way Rin would take over the hospital, taking care of Kakashi's parents in their old age, and delivering a baby girl to Minato-Sensei and her wife. He described how the Uchiha clan was respected and watched over all, ninjas and civilian, with a smile on her face. And he described how happy she felt of having her belly round, with a child waiting to be born.
Kakashi didn't know her left from her right. Her world was spinning. Someone was holding against their chest. His heat burned her to the core. She didn't know when the dream morphed into reality, or if it was the reality who became the dream.
Under the eerie moonlight, a dead boy cried against her neck, muttering prayers and excuses.
The next day, she woke up in her futon with a toad and a crow on her bedside.
"Did he do something to you?" Was one of their questions.
They thought of assault, maybe of the sexual kind. But he had done nothing more than wrapping her in his heat and layers of dreams that felt too good to be true. Her entire being felt raw. He had done nothing to her, but she felt worse than if he had touched her. Deep whispers echoed in her ears, his tears straining her mask.
Something ugly was sewing stitches across her soul. Part of her was begging for more.