Tsunade watched, amused, as the kunoichi Kakashi had brought in lowered her thorn defence. With the trained eye of a medic-nin of unrivaled skill that she was, Tsunade made note of her condition. The girl was covered in various bruises and cuts, she also seemed to have strained several muscles in her arms and legs. Add to that her obvious exhaustion and Tsunade was sure she had been through quite a lot in the past through days. But, Tsunade turned thoughtful, whatever it was she's still alive. She must have at least some skill.
Convinced her patient would survive given rest Tsunade observed her face. Her slight blush that had formed upon realizing her defence had trapped her savior was receding as she turned to face Tsunade. Again she noted that the girl was exhausted, but there was also desperation in the bright green eyes that turned to look at her.
"Okay Kakashi," Tsunade folded her arms into her Hokage pose, "What's so important that I have to leave my paperwork to meet your friend?" Even though she spoke to Kakashi she kept her eyes on the girl.
"Well," he glanced at the kunoichi, "Before she passed out she seemed to what to see you, Hokage-sama." He gave Tsunade a look that told her there was more to it than what he said. The girl seemed to perk up slightly at his statement.
"Um... please," the girl spoke to her, "Is this Konoha?" She seemed quite hopeful, Tsunade thought.
"Yes it is," she answered, "and I'm the Hokage. So if you have something to say. Speak up."
Her eyes widened, "Hokage-sama! Quick," she pulled a scroll out from her pack, "my village is under attack. Oji-sama, the villagehead, had me bring you this." She held out the scroll. "Please, they need help!"
As Tsunade reached out for the scroll she got a bad feeling. I knew it, she thought sullenly, I knew winning that raffle this morning was a bad sign.
Tati studied this blonde, female Hokage in front of her as she read the scroll. She looks younger than I would have expected, she thought as she considered the abilities of the women before her, but if she can save the village then it doesn't matter. As the Hokage continued to read Oji-sama's scroll, her expression steady, Tati saw movement out of the corner of her eye and glanced to her right at the man, Kakashi Hatake.
He was putting away the small, orange book he had been reading when she had woken. As she watched he placed it in his belt pouch and stood with his hands in his pockets. He lazily watched the Hokage as she read through the scroll and Tati felt her embarrassment rise once again. I wonder how long he was trapped by my thorn defence?, she thought. Some thanks he gets, he scares away the enemy, carries me to Konoha and I go and trap him in a cage of thorns. The scroll would never have made it here if it weren't for him and, Tati thought with a start, neither would I.
"Err... Hatake-san?" as she spoke his one visible eye turned to her, "Thank you. For before." Tati felt awkward, she was not used to owing people. In her village she was the most capable, she was good at looking after herself. Still, thanks were obviously due.
"No problem," his eye turned up in what she assumed was a smile, even though with the mask it was hard to be sure, "Added a bit of excitement to an otherwise dull mission."
Tati smiled slightly in return before having another thought, "Oh and sorry. About the thorns." She looked down at her lap, "I hope you weren't trapped for very long."
"Maa, it wasn't very long. Thank heavens," when Tati looked up he continued, "If I hadn't had Icha Icha Paradise to read I might have had to resort to serious measures though. I hate hospitals."
"And then I wouldn't have been very happy. Would I, Kakashi?" the Hokage had finished reading the scroll and now stood with her attention on the two of them. Her expression was thoughtful, but that wasn't what Tati wanted to see. She wanted action.
"Hai, Hokage-sama," he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. The Hokage studied him briefly before continuing.
"You will go home and get yourself cleaned up, then report to my office," as he nodded casually her eyes seemed to narrow, "And that means today, Kakashi."
He sweatdropped, "Hai, Hokage-sama." He gave Tati a wave before making some handsigns too fast for her to recognize, though when he disappeared in a cloud of smoke she could hazard a guess as to what they were.
"As for you, Tati-san" the Hokage turned to her, "You will be resting here for the next few days. After which I will assign someone to look after you."
"But..." Tati began to protest. I have to help save the village, she thought. I can't spend days waiting around here, "...I..."
"No arguments," the look on the Hokage's face reminded Tati of when Oji-sama was disciplining the younger villagers. She resigned herself to doing what she was told. For the time being.
"Hai, Hokage-sama," she sighed, echoing Kakashi's earlier words. With a start she suddenly realized that the Hokage had used her name. "Wait! How do you know who I am?" she asked confused.
"The scroll," she said simply and began to head for the door, "No more questions. I'll come to get more details on the current situation once you've recovered more."
And with that she left the room. Tati lay back down on her bed and looked at the whitewashed ceiling. The village should be fine now, she thought. I did it Oji-sama, I might have had a little help, but I completed my mission. I made it to Konoha and delivered the scroll. She could hear the sounds of children playing and birds just outside her window.
Tati closed her eyes and breathed deep, the smell of antiseptic all around her. Then, as comfortable as a ninja in a strange village could be, she dozed off.
Kakashi strolled casually through the village as he made his way home. Tsunade had given him until the end of today to report to her office, so naturally he was going to take his time. He wasn't injured or terribly messy so he also felt no need to rush home. The afternoon was cool and there were lots of people about, ninja and civilian alike. He chuckled slightly as three genins raced by in hot pursuit of a familiar looking cat. Sympathizing with their poor jonin-sensei, Kakashi continued down the street, hands in his pockets.
However, thoughts of missions brought his musing back to the mysterious kunoichi. Who was she? What village was she from? And most importantly in Kakashi's opinion, what was that technique she was using. Being the village's ninjutsu expert, the man of a thousand jutsus, Kakashi had immediately recognized the similarities between her technique and the mokuton. A technique only possessed by the first Hokage and Tenzo, who had gained the ability as a result of an experiment of Orochimaru's.
It was then, as he was deep in his thoughts, that Kakashi heard a sound feared by all sane men.
"Ah my youthful rival! I, the magnificent green beast, have found you," Kakashi cringed mentally at the sound of Gai's exuberant voice. He sighed and slowly turned to face his self-proclaimed rival.
"Back so soon, Gai?" Kakashi stood as still as possible in the face of this current threat. Any sudden moves from Kakashi could be taken as a challenge by the green spandex-clad man before him. He was quietly planning his escape when Gai spoke again.
"Of course, my cool rival," Kakashi was sure he had made his team run all the way. He pitied Neji and Ten-Ten, Lee he pitied for other reasons. Gai continued, "You are quite hip, Kakashi. I have heard of your brave and noble deed, though I expected nothing less of the man worthy to be my rival. Ha hah!" He cringed as Gai struck one of his more unsettling poses.
"And what deed, might that be?" If I can just keep him talking then perhaps he will forget to challenge me. Hopefully. Knowing Gai this deed of mine could have been anything. Perhaps, he mused, he is referring to my all-you-can-eat order at Ichiraku's the other day? It was quite skilled of me to eat it all so quickly.
"Ha, it burns me to think of just how chivalrous you are," as Gai's eyes indeed lit up in flame, Kakashi thought, chivalrous? Maybe it's not my ramen eating skills... "I am, of course, referring to your daring rescue of the mysterious black-haired damsel. I have heard how you nobly carried her into the village. So intent on getting the fair beauty medical treatment for her injuries. You are the embodiment of gallantry, Kakashi, esteemed my rival."
"Ah," Kakashi understood now. He also understood that chunin, Izumi, was to blame for his current predicament. He would get him back one of these days, "Well I have to go now Gai, you understand," he was eager to escape from Gai's company before more questions could be asked about the 'damsel' in question.
"Of course, my rival. You must hurry to the fair damsel's side. So she may be comforted in the presence of her brave knight," Kakashi was gone before Gai could continue, teleporting into his own living room.
Great, he thought with a groan as he entered his bathroom to clean up, I bet Gai will spread that rumour to most of Konoha before tomorrow. Perhaps, he thought with a slightly evil glint in his eye, before I go see Tsunade I'll pay Izumi a visit.