Disclaimer can be found on chapter one. Thank you for the reviews. Also thanks to those that added my story to your story alert and favorites. Now, onto the story!

Kakashi woke to the feel of cold water on a cloth running down his face. He moaned as he tried to get away from the source, but it merely followed him.

"I think he's coming around master." Anlee said softly.

"Kakashi? Can you hear me?" Tomayoko asked.

Kakashi frowned and tried to turn away from Tomayoko's gentle hand before he was sick again.

"My poor Kakashi. What illness has befallen you?" Tomayoko asked.

Kakashi shivered and tried to get away, but he had hardly any strength to do so.

"How in Kami's name did I get back into this predicament?" Kakashi asked himself.

Moaning again, he just wanted relief. Relief from the pain, from being sick, and from being near Tomayoko, but at the moment he couldn't see that happening. He wanted his wife, to be back home in the Hidden Leaf Village, and to be sharing a drink of two with the guys, but he wasn't. He knew that.

"Why does this always seem to happen to me?" Kakashi thought to himself.

Tomayoko pulled a sheet over Kakashi in hopes to warm him a bit and yet to keep Kakashi from overheating. He was dangerously hot as it was. Kakashi's eyes fluttered close and Tomayoko sighed as he looked down upon him.

"Anlee, make sure to keep him comfortable, I'll be back shortly." Tomayoko said and left the room.

"Yes master." Anlee said and sat down beside Kakashi.

****

"You three in my office, now." Tomayoko said as he passed the three ninjas he'd hired to retrieve Kakashi.

"Keep your mouth shut this time Kunio, unless he asks you a direct question." Iwao said.

Tadao followed the other two into the office and stood offside to observe.

"I told you to bring Kakashi back here safe and sound. He's nowhere near what I asked. How do you think I should pay you for this?" Tomayoko started. "The way I see it, I don't pay you anything and you go about your lives before I end them."

"Now wait just a minute." Iwao said. "We had our orders and followed them as you said. We didn't know he was sick, nor did you. We went and got him and brought him back, just as you asked us to."

Tomayoko merely stared at Iwao and then turned his attention to the others.

"You did go and come back promptly. I'll give you that much. Fine, I'll give you half of your original agreement."

Kunio started to disagree, but Iwao stepped on his foot to quiet him.

"Fine, but please remember not to call on us for future missions seeing as you can't seem to keep a promise." Iwao said.

Tomayoko glared at Iwao, nodded and proceeded to get them their payment before he dismissed them from his sight. Sitting down at his desk once again, he wasn't sure what to do. He wasn't a medic. Anlee only had so much skill. He'd have to find someone to take care of his precious Kakashi and then he'd be able to make up for the time that Kakashi was gone.

****

Genma had ordered everyone to take a fifteen minute break seeing at the rate there were going, they'd burn themselves out long before being able to reach the destination of finding Kakashi. Shino reported that his bugs were acting out, which meant they were either close to their goal, or had lost the trail.

"I hope that means that we're close." Genma said.

Sakura sighed and looked within her heart to see if she could reach Kakashi. She didn't feel his presence around the area, but that wasn't reason to just give up hope. She made her way towards the stream and washed her face in order to cool down a bit.

"How can we just put up with that? There are more of us than him. We should've just taken all his money and left him to die. Stupid git." Sakura heard a voice say.

She stood up slowly, masking her chakra before she step behind a tree and looked around to see where the voice was coming from.

"Granted said we aren't going to be looking for a job from him anymore, you never know if we'll be in need of money and he may have another job for us." A rather calm voice replied.

"Tadao you make me sick. After what we've just gone through, plus with what Iwao said and never taking a job from him again, how can you possible think so calmly?" The first voice said.

"It doesn't matter, we're done with the mission, let's get back." A new voice said. "Kunio you seriously need to learn to shut up sometimes."

"I was just stating a fact. There's nothing wrong with that." The voice Sakura guessed to be Kunio said.

"There's a time and a place for everything. You just always seem to pick the wrong time." The voice Sakura guessed to be Tadao stated matter of fact.

"Is that right?" Kunio replied pulling out a couple of kunai.

"Calm down, he's only speaking his mind. You know how Tadao is. He does have a point however." The one Sakura figured to be Iwao said.

"What is this, gang up on me now that we've finished the mission?" Kunio asked, a glare in his eye towards the two.

Sakura continued to watch the three as she stood hiding.

"What do you think he wanted with that guy anyways? I mean, it was pretty much a simple mission, kinda odd though." Kunio asked.

"I don't ask why the job needs done. I do it and get my money." Iwao responded.

"His health wasn't good. I do hope that Tomayoko has sense enough to take care of him before he does anything else. It was a shame the guy was too stubborn and wouldn't allow me to help him." Tadao said with a slight sigh.

Sakura's eyes grew wide and she nearly jumped from behind the tree when she was grabbed by Genma. His hand covered her mouth so she didn't give away their position when he was sure he'd surprised her. He quickly motioned for her to remain quiet as he moved to another tree to watch to trio.

"Yeah well, it wasn't like we asked him to go on a picnic with us now was it?" Kunio said.

"Let's go, I'm hungry and I got my mind of some relaxing that needs to be done." Iwao said with a gleam in his eye.

Tadao merely shook his head. Kunio licked his lips at his mind's thoughts and rubbed his hands together. The three quickly headed off. Sakura's eyes grew large as she felt they were getting away.

"We need to come up with a new plan. For all we know they could've been talking about Kakashi, but we want to make sure before we just attack them. Let's get back to the others." Genma whispered quietly and turned to head back towards the others.

Sakura nodded and followed.

****

"Shino!" Genma called once they'd gotten back in range of the others. "Are you friends picking anything up?"

"Actually, yes. There seems to be a strong presence of the cloth Sakura gave me nearby, but it's quickly moving away." Shino responded.

"Alright, we found our new targets. We'll have to move quickly however, they seem to be heading towards the next town. We'll have to be careful. They were able to take Kakashi, granted he was sick, we still will need to be cautious." Genma continued.

The group nodded then followed his lead. Genma out in front now, Sakura behind him, Hinata was next, and Shino was last.

TBC...

It seems as if they are so close, but so far! How long will Kakashi be able to wait for them? How long before Sakura looses her cool? Look for the answers in the next chapter! Let me know what you think!