Kakashi fell asleep in Tsunade's arms.
Tsunade thought it was the sweetest thing ever: Kakashi was holding onto her for dear life, and it seemed like he was afraid to let her go for any reason. With a slight whimper, Kakashi had shifted around a bit, finally getting himself comfortable and falling asleep on Tsunade. The blonde Hokage carefully carried Kakashi into her own room, settling him in her bed and placing a small kiss on his forehead. She exited the room after pulling the sheets up over him, and then softly closed the door behind herself. She could sleep on the couch for one night.
OOOOOOOOOO
When Kakashi woke up, he wasn't alone.
He couldn't help but gasp with surprise as he realized where he was, and the teenage girl sitting next to him turned her head slightly to acknowledge him. "Ah, Kakashi-san! You're up!"
Kakashi slowly sat up, wincing at the pain from his many wounds. "Shizune," he murmured, recognizing the short, black hair and dark eyes. "Wh-What happened…?"
"Itachi handed you over to Tsunade-sama," Shizune replied with a small smile. "She kept you here for the night, because she was too afraid to move you much. Trauma, and all. She thought it would be better if you were in a safe, nurturing environment for a while. Something a bit more personal, you know?"
Kakashi nodded. "Yeah…to an extent, I guess…what happened to Itachi-sama?"
"He left the second Tsunade-sama took you," Shizune said. "He just said he was sorry he couldn't do more for you, and that he just didn't want to see you hurt again. He gave you back, Kakashi-a second time!"
Kakashi hardly heard what she said after 'he left the second Tsunade-sama took you.' All that was left now was the emptiness of being alone…without Itachi…and being without his lover-
"Kakashi-san?"
"Leave me alone."
Shizune looked as if she had been slapped at Kakashi's words. "B-But…Kakashi-san, I really should see to your wounds-"
"You can't do anything about the worst of the wounds," Kakashi said bitterly. "Unless you can heal a broken heart."
Shizune fell silent at this. It was true, only time could heal a broken heart-time, and love would heal it completely, but time alone would only scar. She slowly stood up, leaving behind a tray of food and some tea.
"I'll be back in a little while to check on you," she said softly. "But in the meantime, would you let Tsunade-sama-?"
"Just leave me alone!"
Shizune left without another word.
OOOOOOOOOO
"Kakashi…Kakashi, come on, talk to me!"
"Go away!"
Tsunade had tried and failed twice now to touch Kakashi, each try only resulting in tears and sobs. Kakashi seemed completely broken at this point, devastated that Itachi had left him without so much as a word. As it was, the tears were still falling, but not as hard. Tsunade reached out slowly, trying one more time to offer Kakashi a bit of comfort.
It was as she thought. Kakashi whimpered and slid away from her hand, and his sobs redoubled. Tsunade sighed and finally just stood up and left.
It wasn't worth it if Kakashi was going to deny himself the comfort he craved so badly.
OOOOOOOOO
Kakashi cried until the night fell.
His tears faded into small sobs, until finally he cried himself to sleep. Tsunade knew he hadn't touched the food she had set out for him, nor the tea she had left. She was beginning to get worried about Kakashi: he had hardly had something to drink for so long, and no food at all, and yet he wouldn't eat. It just wasn't fair to Kakashi at all! But there was nothing Tsunade could do at the moment. She sighed and moved past her own room, where Kakashi still was, and settled on the couch again. Kakashi would just have to stay until he was eating again…but so far, he was sleeping alright, and so Tsunade decided to leave him for the night. She could push him to eat a little more tomorrow.
Kakashi woke up in the middle of the night to a soft whisper.
He looked around, but could see nothing that would indicate someone in the room. He sat up, a bit more frightened now, and hesitantly called out, "Is someone there?"
The response was a light, soft kiss.
Kakashi's late-night visitor had suddenly covered his eyes and kissed him, much to Kakashi's dismay. He wrenched against the person's hold, and found a gentle hand slipping away from his face, revealing red Sharingan, sharp lines underneath deadly eyes-
"Itachi-sama…"
Kakashi wasted no time. Within the second, he was in Itachi's arms, holding onto him as if there was no tomorrow. Itachi wrapped his arms around Kakashi in a tender embrace, a rare occurrence even around Kakashi.
"Missed you," Itachi murmured. Kakashi nodded wordlessly, pressing his face to Itachi's shoulder, as if afraid he would leave if he let go, even for a second.
"Missed you, too," he whispered. "But…you left…without even saying goodbye…"
"Love, I had to," Itachi said softly, kissing down on Kakashi's soft mouth. "I knew someone was following Sasori and I, and I didn't want them to find you. I managed to lead them off in a few circles, but I can't stay long. I just wanted to say goodbye, and to tell you that I loved you."
Kakashi nodded again. The world was right with him at the moment-nothing could possibly bring this moment down, nothing in the world! Well, except maybe Pein or Kisame coming in, but what were the odds?
"Love, I don't ever want you to go through that kind of torture again," Itachi said slowly, pulling Kakashi closer to himself. "I just hope you can forgive me for not moving against Kisame and Pein earlier."
"There's nothing to forgive," Kakashi murmured, "You did everything you could…and more. You didn't have to do any of this for me, but you did…and for that, all I can do is thank you."
Itachi smiled. "Ever the sweetest flower," he said, kissing Kakashi again. "I have to go now, but just remember that I will come whenever I can, and that I'll never forget you. You'll always be loved with me." Itachi eased Kakashi off him, then stood up and turned away. "Goodbye my love. I'll see you again."
"No you won't."
Itachi spun around, and found himself staring into the tiny eyes of Kisame.
Itachi's own eyes narrowed, and he glowered at Kisame. "You," he snarled. "What are you doing here?"
"Came for the little slave behind you," Kisame said, motioning to Kakashi. "Cute little fuck-I wanted him back."
"Not happening," Itachi growled, stepping in front of Kakashi protectively. "Touch him, Kisame, and I swear upon my own grave-"
"You'll what?" Kisame drawled. "Kill me?" His hand traveled back to rest on Samehada's hilt, and the blade tipped forward. "You wouldn't even if you could!"
"Don't push me," Itachi warned. Kisame laughed.
"I'll push you right over, prissy little shrimp of a pureblood!"
Itachi's blood boiled. "I can take an insult, but that was a little much!" he spat, hands curling into fists at his sides. Kisame laughed again, refusing to take Itachi seriously.
"Itachi, don't worry your pretty little head over it. It'll quick and painless! And don't worry about Kakashi, either-I'll take good care of him."
Itachi moved a hidden kunai down his sleeve into his palm. He didn't let one that he had anything, though-he wanted to surprise Kisame. Maybe he could get that kunai deep enough to seriously wound him…but Kisame was a big, very muscular person, and a simple kunai might not punch a very big hole…
Kisame stepped forward a bit. "No objections? Good. I'll just take him back now-"
As he leaned over to grab Kakashi, Kisame was stopped cold by a hand on his chest.
Blood poured down Itachi's bared forearm, and dripped onto Kakashi's pale skin. Only a startled gasp could be heard for a moment: then, Kisame fell forward, almost on top of Kakashi, the hilt of a kunai protruding from his punctured chest.
"Itachi…" he gasped. "Y-Your…own…partner…"
"I have nothing to do with you anymore," Itachi said coldly. "Not after what you did to him." Itachi bent over, picking up Kakashi with his clean arm, and wiping the majority of the blood off his other on Kisame's cloak. "Kisame, I thought I made it clear to you," Itachi continued, almost sounding rueful, "I wouldn't tolerate Kakashi's abuse any longer. I'm sorry it had to end like this-but that's life, right?"
Itachi stopped when he realized Kisame was dead.
Kakashi shivered and clung to Itachi, whimpering in fear. "Kakashi, love, he's dead," Itachi said softly, pulling Kakashi back to him. He held Kakashi against his shoulder for a moment, then picked him up and carried him away from the scene.
"Come on; we need to find Tsunade."
OOOOOOOOO
Tsunade heard noise from upstairs and woke up.
There was a loud thud, and then everything went silent. Then, a voice said something to another, and Tsunade heard her name. Fearing the worst, the kunoichi's hand slid underneath her pillow to curl her fingers around a kunai. An assassination? Wait-that noise came from her room! Kakashi!
Tsunade sprang to her feet just as a figure entered the room.
"Relax, Tsunade," Itachi said quickly, setting Kakashi down on the opposite end of the couch. "He's fine, and no one's here to hurt you. Anyone who was is now dead."
"What are you talking about?" Tsunade gasped. "Where is Shizune?"
"I don't know," Itachi said quickly. "This blood is Kisame's," he explained, holding up his bloodied arm. "He came to try to retake Kakashi, and he wouldn't back off, so I killed him."
Tsunade's eyes widened, but she crouched down in front of Kakashi, quickly checking him over for injury. "Aw, baby, are you okay? What happened?"
"What Itachi-sama said," Kakashi murmured, looking down. "N-Nothing happened to Shizune, at least…not by Itachi-sama's hand. He was with me the whole time."
Tsunade sighed and stood up, dropping the kunai to the couch. "Itachi, what were you doing here to begin with?"
"I came to say goodbye," he said. "I knew Kakashi would be miserable if he thought I had abandoned him, so I came back to make sure he got to say goodbye to me and to know I loved him."
Tsunade glanced at Kakashi. The jounin nodded, and she sighed and sat down next to him. Tsunade slid an arm across Kakashi's shoulders, but Kakashi didn't seem to react to the gesture.
"Come here, baby," Tsunade tried, but Kakashi scooted away from her. Itachi understood Kakashi's movements, and sat down on the jounin's other side. He gently pulled Kakashi into his lap and placed a small kiss on his forehead, brushing aside silver hair.
"He just wants attention," Itachi said. "Obviously he didn't get enough of it in Akatsuki, so he really wants someone to take care of him until he can get back on his feet. It's gonna be a lot harder this time, though: Kisame was really rough, and it was just a bad situation. Please, promise me you'll do whatever it takes to make sure he isn't hurt anymore?"
Tsunade nodded. "Of course," she said. "I couldn't live with myself if I was the cause for his misery. Poor thing…" Tsunade reached over and ran one hand up and down Kakashi's back, hoping he would be comforted by the gesture. "He's so sweet…how could it even cross one's mind to hurt him in the least?"
Itachi shrugged. "I don't know," he said slowly. "It was for the best, then."
Tsunade looked up. "What?"
"That I killed Kisame," Itachi said. "It's for the best, right?"
Tsunade sighed. "I guess so," she finally said. "Where's the body?"
"On your bed."
"Agh!"
There was a sudden scream from above, and pounding footsteps echoed down the stairs. "Tsunade-sama!!!"
Tsunade gave a small smile. "Well, at least I know Shizune's okay…"
A/N: Geez, holidays are rough! So much for updates getting better…well, here ya go!! Review, please!!
