Sleep
Genre: General
Rating: K
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Please R&R…Thanks!
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Kakashi rarely sleeps, it's just one of those things he doesn't do, one of those things that brings back memories better left forgotten. Sometimes he'll take sleeping pills, he has a prescription for them; most current and former ANBUs do. Night terrors are not uncommon among shinobi, but the elite of the elite, the ANBUs, often end up suffering more.
It's just on of those things you learn to deal with.
Often, instead of sleeping, Kakashi will spend his time wandering the streets of Konoha, staring at the memorial stone, or reading in the quite of the Jounin conference room.
He's always alone.
Except for tonight. Tonight he's not alone because tonight he's not the only one unable to sleep. He's leaning against the sill of an open window, letting the soft wind blow inside and causing the Jounin and Chuunin conference room to drop a couple degrees, when Kurenai enters.
He doesn't startle, doesn't turn around or acknowledge her presence. He just waits, listening to the young red-eyed Chuunin as she makes coffee and pours herself a cup. She drinks it black, and if you ask Kakashi, far too strong.
She walks over to Kakashi and leans against the window sill beside him. They stand in silence for awhile, not uncomfortable enough to move and yet not comfortable enough to begin a conversation.
"Are you always here at night?" Kurenai asks, breaking the still silence.
"Not here, so to speak, but I'm around."
"Do you ever just get to the point or do you always force people to look underneath the underneath?"
He just shrugs and they fall back into the comfortable silence of companionship; Kurenai sipping her coffee and Kakashi just staring at the stars.
"Have you always had problems sleeping?" Kurenai ventures.
"Since I became a Chunnin," Kakashi replies.
Kurenai nods slowly, knowing that 'underneath the underneath' Kakashi really means to say "Since the first time I killed someone."
"How do you deal with it?"
"I don't, we never have."
"We?"
"ANBUs."
Kurenai nods, she's seen people crack under the pressures of ANBU, Kakashi included: though just recently.
"Why do you keep doing this if it only hurts you in the end?"
"Because at night I'd rather hear the screams of the ones I've killed than the screams of the people I'd fail by quitting. We're all monsters anyways, so it shouldn't really matter."
She sighs, "You're just doing your job you know."
"Yah," Kakashi whispers, a hint of guilt in his voice, "I'm just doing my job."
And with that he turns around and walks away. The door closes behind him and Kurenai sighs. She sips her coffee and watches the sun begin to rise.
For some, silence is close enough to sleep.