Chapter 24
Recovery
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Whispering water and the lonely call of a loon woke him from his slumber. Slowly he drifted back to the waking world and with it came dull aches and deep throbs. Wincing as his eye blinked open, Iruke realized that he had a swollen left eye. Lifting his arm, the simple summer yukata fell back onto his upper arm and revealed the bandages covering his arm. Taking stock, Iruka mentally went over the major aches and pains in his body. Several of his cuts were still slwoly oozing blood from being moved, his ribs were cracked, and his chest was probably one big mass of bruises and multiple cuts. Sighing, he focused his Chakra and sent it out in healing waves over the cuts and deep bruises. After a few moments, the barely visual green Chakra sank back into his skin and he breathed a sigh of relief. He could sit up and not pant for availiable air.
As he sat up, he could only think that he was in the daimyo's estate. Kakashi and Saukra had lived. He knew that Kakashi would, but Sakura was still so young. He could, at the time, only hope that she would be alright. He had nearly died when he felt the huge Chakra waves and then the explosions as he ran and fought through the forest. He smiled at his thoughts. Sakura had been taught be Godaime-sama herself. There wasn't really anything to worry about. Though Sakura was weak in taijitsu, she was excellent with genjitsu and medical jitsus. Maybe she had finally found confidence to fight for herself with Naruto and Sasuke gone.
With that line of thinking, Iruka frowned. He missed Naruto fiercely. Almost three years ago, the boy left with Jiraiya. It almost seemed like yesterday that Naruto was begging him for more ramen at Ichiraku's. He prayed that the boy was safe. Even with Jiraiya with him, there was still the threat of Akatsuki to contend with. They wanted Naruto, but for what?
Growling, Iruka threw off the light covering his legs, the yukata falling open to his waist. Bandages covered him from neck to upper thigh. He hadn't thought he was that bad off, but apparently it had been bad. He had stoppped most of the blood, but the deeper wounds had oozed. Iruka ran a hand through his messy hair and blew it out of his eye. He could pull it back, but his arms were still a bit sore. He should also think about healing his swollen eye, but it could wait. He looked around the room.
Spacious and neat, the room was done in calming greens and blues. Behind him, one wall was painted with a pond scene, as graceful white cranes and water lilies floated on rippling teal water. Cattails seemed to move in the slight wind and a distant shadow revealed itself to be a man fishing. Set perpendicular to the scene, against the far wall to his let was set a deep red cherry table and wardrobe. His pack was set against the bottom of the heavy wardrobe. Two small paper lanterns were sitting in either corner of the left wall as well as on the right wall. The right wall held a sliding paper screen and could possibly lead to another room or to a bathroom. Directly in front of him was another sliding door, this one with two doors instead of the one. That one probably led out to the veranda. Beside him, a small cherry table held a pitcher of water and a glass. Pouring some into the glass, he drank slowly. His futon was lush and cushioned with down. It was also set about three inches off the tatami covered floor.
It was close to morning, he could tell that much. As if to verify it, a lark sang out. Stretching his senses, Iruka felt around for other people. In his immediate area, he guessed the guest wing, there was Sakura just waking up about fifteen or so meters across from him. Kakashi was still snoring to his right. So that's where that door led. There must have been a social area in between the two rooms. He wondered what Kakashi's room was decorated like. Stretching his senses further, he found four more people in what he thought to be the family wing, all still asleep. In a wing further back on the estate, he could barely make out the waking servants and the already busy cooks and maids. He smiled and let his senses fall back. He was tired.
Don't let your guard down to much, Kinkou whispered.
"Knock it off, phantom!" Iruka growled.
I've kept my end of the bargain. The nightmares won't visit you until your mind releases the seals. They are very temporary. I can only do so much to shield you while you recover. Kinkou seemed to pause and think about his next words. I can't let you break down completely. I like the life you have built. It's better than the one I left behind. You created a family for yourself and learned to love again. I can't let that get torn away.
"Do whatever you want. You're me, after all," Iruka ground out, clenching his fists.
Kinkou's presence spread a calming wave over Iruka's flashing temper. I don't want to fight with you, you know. I am trying to help you. Eventually, you won't need me anymore and I will just disappear as if I was never here. You will be left with all my memories. Kinkou sounded relieved. I've lived with them and it made me stronger. It will make you stronger.
Iruka gritted his teeth. "I never wanted them."
To damn bad. Get used to it. You think I wanted to be sealed away? I screamed and fought to be left alone, but what I had become was going to kill me. I didn't think so at the time, but this is what I am. I am not proud of what I became. No one should ever do what I have done. Kinkou's voice faded with those haunted words.
Iruka wiped a tear from his cheek. "I never wanted this," he whispered to the quiet room.
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Sakura stood outside Iruka's room and her head hung. She could feel the pain that was coursing through her old teacher's words. She could only guess at what he had been through and what was going through his mind. He sounded so hurt and all she wanted was to make him smile again. Silently, she padded away from the guest wing and into the servant's wing. She could only do so much for her patients if they let her, and right now Iruka was hers. He needed food and someone to talk to.
Smiling, she stepped into the kitchen and asked for some bread, eggs, and some sweet jam. As that was being prepared, Sakura pulled a small packet of herbs from her belt pouch and prepared a mixture of rosemary and thyme, adding some mint. Grabbing a tea ball, she pulled a bubbling pot of water over to her and set the teaball and mix into the bottom of a teapot. Pouring the hot water over the ball, she waited for a few minutes then pulled the metal from the water. The fragrant steam lifted to her nose and she sighed in content. Pouring a bit into a small cup, she tasted the brew. Adding a small piece of honeycomb, she placed it on a tray with three red clay mugs. Turning, she waited as the last of the three plates were prepared and a green clay jar of blackberry jam was placed on the tray. Thanking the bustling cooks, she carried the tray back to the guest wing.
Stopping at Kakashi's room, she tapped on the frame and slid it open. "Kakashi-sensei," she called quietly. "Time for breakfast. When you are dressed come over to Iruka's room." She slid the door shut again and listened as the silver haired man grumped and threw his pillow at the door. She smiled and went down two doors. Knocking, she slid the door back and beamed as she went in.
"Good morning, Iruka-sensei!" she chirped, slipping into the room. She watched as he adjusted his yukata back into place and pulled the blanket back over his lap. "I am very happy to see you are up. You've been sleeping for the last two days."
Iruka blinked at her and smiled. "Good morning, Sakura-chan."
Balancing the tray deftly, Sakura set it down on the small side table by the futon and kneeled down. "Let me get a look at those cuts," she said, reaching to pull his yukata down his chest and arms. Iruka blushed and leaned away from her touch. "Oh, for heaven's sakes, Iruka, I'm a medical nin. I've seen naked bodies before!"
"B-but," he stammered, turning even redder.
Sakura frowned and leaned forward, grabbing his yukata. He jerked back again and stared to turn purple. Not giving up, Sakura shimmied further in and ripped the yukata down his arms. Iruka again jerked back, trying to hold the yukata up. This threw Sakura off balane and she went tumbling into him. Squawking, she flew into his chest, knocking them both down. Gritting her teeth, she raised herself up on her arms. Iruka was blushing under her and she realized that her knee was resting right at his groin, her other knee near his hip.
"Iruka! Shame on you!" Kakashi giggled from the door. "Trying to get your student into bed with you!"
Sakura whipped around and blushed, her sea green eyes blazing. She jerked Iruka's pillow from under his head and threw it at Kakashi. "You aren't helping matters, Hatake!" she bellowed. Turning back to Iruka, she grinned down at him devilishly. "Though this is interesting, I still need you to take off that yukata. And if you give me any more problems, I'll make you strip to your skin!" She pushed off from the severely blinking and blushing man and sat back up.
Iruka mumbled under his breath and did as the girl asked him to. It was bad enough that he was completely mortified that he had caused her to fall, but even more so that she had looked quite beautiful hanging over him. He could hear Kinkou's laughter and appreciation bouncing around his head. Straring over her head into nothing, Iruka lifted his arms and waited for her to unbind the bandages across his chest.
He caught a flash of shadow and swiveled his head to watch Kakashi settle on the other side of him. The masked man was wearing a white and blue koi patterened yukata, his blue mask in place. His black eye patch covered the Sharingan eye and his hair was sticking out at odd angles. It made Iruka want to run his hands through his hair.
"So, would you like to tell us what happened the other day?" Sakura asked, winding a new bandage around his chest.
"Um," Iruka stalled.
"Spit it out, Iruka. I don't tolerate lies from patients and I can't treat you if you don't tell me what's going on in that head of yours," Sakura stated from over his shoulder. She pressed against his back and looked at him over his shoulder, a smouldering look in her eyes. "You can tell me now or I can torture it out of you."
Iruka swallowed audibly. Sakura was fifteen, nearly sixteen, and she knew it. Her parents couldn't keep a leash on her anymore and she was turning into a very beautiful woman. He felt sorry for her father. He could imagine that the man was having heart attacks that his daughter was on a mission with two men. He sighed inwardly and thought about answering her. She knew many techniques, but he knew a few himself.
"Iruka," Kakashi said, touching his shoulder. "She took out two nin's back there with her medical jitsu. Cut one guy's head clean off. You might not want to make her angry," he exclaimed with a twinkle in his eye.
Mouth hanging open, Iruka blinked at the now smiling girl and gulped. Taking in a deep breath, he asked, "Can I at least have breakfast first? I'm starving."
"Of course!" Sakura cried, moving the table to sit in front of her. She handed each man a piece of toast with an egg. She lifted her eyes to ask if either one wanted jam and added jam to each of thiers. She then poured the still steaming tea and handed one to Iruka. "That is a special blend tea that will help calm your nerves."
"Thank you, Sakura," Iruka replied gladly. Taking a sip, he found it to be sweet and minty. "This is really good."
"I learned to make it from Tsunade-sama," she said around a piece of toast. She swallowed and sipped her tea. "It's good cold, but you need to add sugar instead of honey." She polished off her toast and slathered another piece with jam, handing it to Iruka. "I have some other recipes that can clear up any kind of problem you can ever have." She smiled, wiping at some jam as it ran down her chin.
Kakashi lifted another piece of toast and ate it dry. "The tea is excellent, Sakura."
After a while, they finished eating and set the table aside. Sakura and Kakashi listened as Iruka told them of his past and what he had done. Kakashi looked thoughtful as he heard about Kinkou and his exile to Iwa. Sakura listened with tears in her eyes and once he was done she scooted over and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"You're not upset or surprised?" he asked sheepishly, staring at his hands in his lap.
Kakashi looked over at him and gave him a smile. "I am not surprised at all, though I don't think you were ANBU." At Iruka's incredulous look, he held up a hand. "You were, but you weren't. I believe that you were part of ROOT. Daigo's pet project. The Sandaime gave him control of a secret organization after the Third War. I would have known if you were in ANBU."
Sakura sat on her heels and thought about the seals that were used. "Those seals were never supposed to be breached. But they eroded after a while and some of it was leaking through. I don't think the Sandaime really knew that the seals would break down over time." A watery grin painted her white face as she peered at Iruka. Laying a hand on his shoulder, she said, "This might be a good thing though. If those seals hadn't been released, then you would have been dead."
Iruka chuckled and felt much better now that they knew. "Glad to hear that, Sakura."
Smiling at the two men, she gathered up the food tray, leaving the cooling tea behind. "I'll leave you two alone for a while. I want to look at the kitchen garden. I have an idea for supper tonight and I would like you two to eat with me in my room."
Iruka nodded, but asked, "What about the daimyo? Shouldn't we see him?"
Kakashi shooed Sakura out and slid the door shut. "The daimyo is away on business and didn't expect us for another couple of days. He's not used to how fast we shinobi move. He will be here late tomorrow. We are to see him day after tomorrow. Until then, his family is letting us recuperate and giving Sakura run of the kitchens." He came over to sit on the futon facing Iruka, pulling his mask down. "I nearly died when I thought you were dead."
Iruka inhaled Kakashi's scent and leaned forward to kiss his lips gently. "I thought I was dead, until I woke up here." He kissed Kakashi again. "Mmm. Tastes of honey and blackberries."
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This is the end of Whispering Illusions. I am very sorry that it took so long to update, but work got in the way. -kicks old work place- Anyway, I am jumping right back in with a new fic featuring our guys and the gang. I will be adding some of the manga stuff, so be prepared for some spoilers.
NO, I am not adding a Sakura bit to Iruka and Kakashi's story. Iruka is still her teacher. Though I am not shy about putting her with different pairs. I'll have to think of it when it's time to release the next fic and make those side stories. I still have Anko and Ibiki's, Genma and Raidou, Kotetsu and Izumo, Kiba and the entire gang, plus Asuma and Kurenai.
Later there will be artwork to accompany these fics as I get a hold of my WACOM and kill this old PC for killing and deleting my last two attempts at getting this fic updated.
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO READ AND REVIEWED. I LOVE YA'LL.
Look for Facts of Danger, the next installment to this series. Until then, ja na!