Chapter 11

A low groan emanated through the room as Keiko slowly began to regain consciousness. Her mind was foggy and she struggled to open her eyes. Shifting around on the bed she eventually was able to open her eyes and roll to her side into a more comfortable position. For a moment, Keiko didn't recognize where she was. Her mind was moving so slow but after a moment, she realized she was in the hospital. "Hospital?" She said groggily as her mind processed the implications.

"You're awake."

Keiko did her best to turn her head to the familiar voice and was met with the sight of an Anbu agent at the foot of her bed. With great effort, Keiko forced herself to sit up, leaning her back against the baseboard of the bed. Her eyes studied the Anbu for a moment before it finally hit her, "Kakashi." He didn't respond. She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head on her knees, her head pounding. Keiko groaned once again and spoke, "What happened?"

Kakashi didn't speak for several long moments. His arms were crossed as he studied her through his mask. He had been there when they discovered the grisly sight early that morning. While he was no stranger to death, it was the first time he had seen an entire clan so mercilessly killed. The Hokage and himself had hoped that Keiko could shed some light on the situation. "You don't remember?"

Keiko silently rocked her head from side to side as it rested on her knees.

"The entirety of the Uchiha Clan was murdered last night."

The young woman's body stiffened instantly. That's right... Keiko could vividly picture him. Standing above the bodies of his murdered clansman, blood splattered everywhere and his Sharingan glowing in the moonlight.

Her hands trembled, gripping the sheets tightly as she looked up to meet the eyes of Kakashi. There was a question she had to ask and it took her a few attempts to say it as she was terrified of the potential answer. "S-Sasuke... is he?"

Kakashi shook his head, "He's fine. Physically, at least. He has yet to wake up."

Her head fell in relief and she sighed, "Good."

"It was Itachi, wasn't it?" Kakashi asked her. Keiko nodded numbly and Kakashi closed his eyes. He found it hard to believe, but Keiko had been there. How could he have not seen this coming? He thought that Itachi was on a better path, that he had helped him. Oh, how life loved to prove him wrong. The tension in the air was thick as Kakashi reeled in his emotions, though Keiko was none the wiser to Kakashi's turmoil. "Danzo insists you had something to do with it."

She shook her head again, lifting it to look at him. "No. I would never do such a thing." Her hand rubbed her face and she grimaced, "I- I don't even know why he did..." She couldn't stop picturing him. Her mind would constantly flip between images of Itachi her friend, and Itachi the murderer. Who was the real Itachi? Did she ever even know? She spent so much time with him and yet she never saw it coming. There must have been something she could have done.

Kakashi looked down and nodded. "All the evidence points to him. Lord Hokage is adamant that you had nothing to do with the massacre and insists on keeping your appearance there a secret. Only the village Elders, Anbu, Danzo and Lord Hokage know you were there."

Keiko nodded, it made sense. She would have to thank the Hokage for having her back. If the village were to know she was there that night, who knows what would happen.

"I do need to gather your side of the story for my report. Involved or not, you were there."

She paused, trying to think of where to being. "I wanted to be sure Sasuke made it home alright. I- I had a bad feeling and needed to be sure... When I got there I saw the bodies. When I came upon them, Sasuke was unconscious" She buried her face in both her hands, too exhausted to cry as she let out a shaky breathe. "I tried to stop him. You can see how that went."

Kakashi nodded once again and pushed himself off of the wall he was leaning on. He had what he had come for and he walked to the door, "Get some rest, someone will come later." He knew there were other Anbu stationed nearby to monitor her on the off chance that she was connected to Itachi. His hand reached for the door nob.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi."

His hand froze and he turned toward her. His mask hiding the feint surprise on his face.

"He was a comrade, I know you two worked closely together." Her eyes met his, "I don't know what you are feeling right now, but you have my sympathy."

Kakashi only nodded, unsure how to respond to her words.

With that, Keiko was left on her own, too tired to do anything but too haunted by the experience to sleep. Even when the medic had come to check on her she was silent, only nodding numbly in response to the questions she was asked. Eventually, the medic realized that Keiko wasn't going to pay attention to anything so they helped Keiko lay back down. Keiko fell asleep after a few hours of staring at the ceiling. Before she fell asleep she couldn't help but think how things had been going too good for her recently.

Keiko did not wake until the next day. She realized it had been two days since the massacre and she wasn't going to sit in bed anymore. While she still felt weak she couldn't help but think that most of her fatigue was from her emotional state. Forcing herself up she changed out of her hospital gown and into her own clothes she found folded on a nearby table. She left her hair down, letting it fall in waves around her. Keiko stepped out of her room and was met by an Anbu guard she did not recognize.

"You should be resting." He told her.

She looked up at him and attempted a smile but she couldn't find it in her to curl her lips upward. Her eyes were apologetic, "We both know I'm weak enough you can take me down easily. I just want to see Sasuke."

The Anbu held up a hand, "I'm sorry, I can't allow you to see the Uchiha boy."

"Of course she can."

They both turned to see Hiruzen Sarutobi walking toward them, his face as serious as ever. The Anbu quickly gave a bow while Keiko stared at him in thought. Was this the first time she had seen him without the hat? He really did look like an ordinary old man, but with a demanding presence.

The Hokage nodded to the guard, "I will accompany her. I think it is only fair she see her student under the circumstances."

There was no argument from the guard. Keiko nodded, the feintest smile trying to tug at her lips, "Thank you."

Hiruzen took in her appearance. He never thought he would see her look so defeated. Of course he had spoken with Kakashi and he had mentioned the state Keiko was in. He couldn't help but notice how Kakashi was taking it as well. The man really had been through so much and he couldn't help but think of Guy advocating for Kakashi's release from the Anbu. Perhaps, Guy was right.

The Hokage led Keiko to another room with two Anbu guards. After a few quick words they let the two of them in and he could hear the sharp intake of breath when Keiko saw him. He stood back silently as Keiko walked up to the boy and for the first time since the incident she let the tears fall. She placed a hand on the boys forehead, sweeping the hair from his eyes. "How?" She turned toward the Hokage, tears streaming freely down her face. "How could he do this?"

Hiruzen closed his eyes, "Itachi Uchiha was a boy of immense talent and skill. He kept much secret, including his own motivations. No one can say for sure though the rumor that is circulating is that it was to test his abilities."

She bit her lip, looking down at the boy. Keiko had never felt this way before. It was so foreign to her to feel so much pent up rage and aggression, while simultaneously feeling the devastating emptiness of loss. Her hand stroked Sasuke's cheek, "He took everything away from Sasuke. All so he could test his own abilities..." She couldn't help but think that was the biggest load of crap she had ever heard. Silence hung in the air before she spoke again, "What happens now?"

"The Anbu are finishing their investigation into the matter. Itachi Uchiha is now a wanted criminal and we are monitoring what information is leaked to the village." He paused when Keiko shook her head. Hiruzen sighed, knowing what she was referring to. "Sasuke will be under strict watch and protected, do not worry about that. I will need to arrange living quarters for him as the compound will be cut off for the foreseeable future."

She nodded in understanding, not speaking any further. The two stood there for several long moments. Keiko could only look down at the child. He resembled his brother, so much that it almost made it painful to look at him. Keiko refused to look away though, she wouldn't leave him there alone. She couldn't. "Itachi came to me that day."

Hiruzen watched her with a knowing gaze and nodded. "Did he?"

"He... He asked me to look after Sasuke. I was so confused at first but now it makes sense. I just don't understand why." Her hands rested on the bed next to Sasuke, her fingers gripping at the sheets as she once again felt the anger boil over. "Obviously, there's something going on, there has to be!" She hung her head, shoulders shaking.

The Hokage stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head toward him but didn't dare meet his gaze. "What is done, is done. We cannot bring back the lives lost. Whatever larger plan is at work, it will unravel in time. Until then," His gave moved to rest on Sasuke, "he will be looked after."

"Sasuke... He won't be the same. No child would be after that." She thought of the bright, happy and driven child she had come to know. "His entire clan is gone, and who knows how much he actually saw."

"Did he see you there?"

Keiko shook her head, "No, Sasuke was unconscious when I arrived. I thought he was dead, or about to be." A sickening chill ran down her spin at the memory. There was a long silence between the two before she turned toward him, "Thank you, by the way. For keeping my involvement secret."

Hiruzen smiled, "Of course. It's the least I could do."

- That Night -

Keiko found herself in the red light district. She sat in the back of a bar, ignoring the others there. Keiko had intentionally chosen a booth in the back facing away from the entrance. She wasn't sure how long she had been there but the staff was beginning to wonder how much longer she would be able to keep up her pace. They knew why she was there, the lack of emotion on her face said everything they needed to know. She was there to try to forget. A few of the barmaids whispered amongst themselves, knowing that it never worked. It never did. They saw many shinobi come to their establishment in an attempt to drown their sorrows in alcohol and it had never worked out in the past. Not in the way they wanted it to at least.

Keiko leaned on the table, looking blankly ahead of her at the empty booth seat. She propped herself up on her elbow, her head resting on her palm. Her free hand limply gripping a cup of shochu. With little thought she threw back the rest of her drink and went to pour more only to discover her bottle was gone. Turning, her head swimming, she placed the empty bottle on the edge of the table to alert the waitstaff.

A heavy sigh escaped her. She didn't want to think about anything and the alcohol made that easy. She knew she would be regretting her decision in the morning but this was a good distraction. The way her head seemed to be floating on her shoulders was nice, despite how she had to hold it up on her palm.

She gave the barmaid a lazy grin as another serving bottle of shochu was placed in front of her and she poured herself another small cup. As she took another sip of the drink she was surprised to find a ninja had sat across from her in her booth. Head resting on her palm she tilted her head lazily and let out a breathy sigh, "What?" She wasn't in the mood to be around people. Couldn't a girl drink in peace?

The man's eyes glistened from his own drinking as he took in her appearance. Her icy blue eyes were glazed and unfocused. The flush of her cheeks was prominent on her pale skin and her lips were parted slightly. Raven black hair hung in waves around her, blanketing her back and shoulders. Keiko had swept her hair over one shoulder to keep it more manageable. Her top was loose, drooping down her shoulder exposing her slender neck and collar bone as well as the top portion of her breast. Keiko knew she should readjust herself, but she couldn't bring herself to care. The man wetted his lips and smiled, trying to put on the charm as he began talking to her.

Keiko didn't pay attention to him. Her eyes met his but everything he said was going in one ear and out the other. She didn't have the energy, let alone the patience, to deal with him right now. She sighed, finished her drink, and stood. Her retreat was halted when the man gripped her wrist, "Where do you think you're going?"

She looked at him through lidded eyes, no emotion leaking onto her features. "Let go."

The man stood as well, his grip still firm on her wrist before it tightened. "I don't think I will. You've been a bit of a bitch, ignoring me and all."

The waitstaff seemed to notice the disagreement and prepared themselves for the worst. Keiko stood silently for a moment, her face growing dark. Finally, she placed her free hand on the man's cheek and stepped closer to him. He grew cocky and smiled a ridiculous smile, only for it to be wiped clean off his face when she spoke, "If you don't want me to castrate you were you stand, I suggest you let go."

The man froze where he stood and he began to sweat in anxiety at the look on her face. She was serious.

"Keiko!" She didn't take her eyes off the man even when a hand was placed on her shoulder. Iruka blinked at the scene and laughed awkwardly when he sensed the tension.

"Whatever, you freak." The man let go of her, pulling his hand back abruptly as if she had burned him.

Iruka and Keiko both turned to watch him go and Iruka's gaze moved between the man and Keiko. "What was that about?"

Keiko sighed and ran her hands through her hair and slurred, "D-Don't ask me." She wasn't in the mood to deal with people.

"Hmm, well ma-" Iruka stopped when he noticed her state of being. His face flushed as he realized just why the guy had tried to give her attention. He coughed to cover his embarrassment before reaching out to grab her shirt and pull it back over her shoulder.

Keiko silently studied him and looked between her shoulder and Iruka for several moments before intentionally sliding it back down.

An awkward noise escaped his lips and his hand shot out to stop her, "Keiko, what are you doing? It's indecent."

She gave him a flirty smile and leaned closer to him, "Some women wear much less than this. Don't you think I'm pretty?"

Iruka reigned in his self control as he felt his neck, face and ears burn. If he looked down he would have an open view. She seemed to notice his unease and grinned, letting out a drunken giggle. He closed his eyes and pulled her shirt back up, placing both hands on her shoulders. "Keiko," he said seriously, "I... I heard about Itachi."

Her face fell, mouth forming a hard line. "Don't." She said firmly. She didn't want to hear it. Didn't want to face the situation, that's why she was there after all.

His gaze morphed into one of pity without his realizing and Keiko couldn't take it. She took a sidestep toward the table to grab the serving glass of shochu and bringing it to her lips. Iruka raised his hand and was about to say something before she tipped it back and hastily finished the contents. Keiko placed it down onto the table, her throat burning but she didn't mind the sensation. When she turned to walk away his hand went to her shoulder, "Keiko, wait! Where are you going?"

She turned her head over her shoulder, "Home, if you must know."

"I'll go with you," he insisted fully intending to make sure she made it there alright. Iruka knew Keiko had a close relationship with Itachi. What had happened to the Uchiha clan had been a shock to most of the village and Keiko had been a friend of the very man who snuffed out his entire clan. He could not imagine the emotional turmoil she must have been going through. Iruka only wanted to help her sort through her own feelings like she had done for him.

Keiko shook her head, "No. I'll be fine." She shrugged off his hand and walked out of the bar, leaving Iruka there. Keiko was a little surprised at how much she needed to focus on her movements in order to walk in a straight line.

The hustle and bustle of the street did little to lighten her mood. She had went there to not think, and yet now it was all she could think of. Keiko was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she didn't even see Guy who had raised a hand to get her attention. He had stopped short of calling out to her though upon noticing her demeanor. Guy had also heard about Itachi, most everyone in the village had. Most people were unaware of the relationship their foreign Kunoichi shared with the now missing-nin.

Not one to let his comrades suffer alone he hopped into step next to her, a large smile crossing his face, "Keiko! My lovely partner, are you out celebrating as well?"

Her steps faltered and she brushed some hair out of her face before looking up at him, "C-celebrating?" Her voice slurred in confusion. What was there to celebrate when an entire clan had been exterminated?

"Why, Kakashi being relieved from the Anbu of course! He's now free to roil in the springtime of youth once again." He paused and looked around, "He was supposed to be here already, the others are sure to be waiting."

She blinked up at him slowly, "Oh, yeah..." She mustered a grin. Keiko knew how happy Guy must be at the news but she couldn't really bring herself to care much. "That's great." Without one word more Keiko continued walking.

Guy noticed this and reached out, "Wait!" She paused, but didn't turn toward him. "You should stay." Guy knew it wasn't best for her to be alone at that moment so he hoped that she would agree. He had tried to force Keiko into things in the past, and it never went well for him.

She shook her head and turned sideway to look at him. Keiko wore a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "I'm fine. Have fun, Guy."

Keiko left the man behind and carefully made her way out of the district into quieter territory. The cool night breeze felt nice on her skin and she let herself get caught up in the feeling as she walked. She had told Iruka she was going home but decided against it. Keiko didn't want to face Naruto like this so she had to wait for him to either be asleep or at his own place. Eventually, she was surrounded by trees and after a while she could start to feel that last swig of shochu come back to bite her. Her movements were more sluggish and forced than they had been and the world seemed to go in and out of focus. She stopped and leaned against a tree for the feeling to pass, closing her eyes.

She wasn't sure how long she was leaned against it when she heard a feint voice. While she couldn't make out what they were saying Keiko thought that the voice sounded familiar. Her interest piqued. She pushed herself off of the tree and made her way over, realizing that she had stopped only a short distance away from the war memorial. Stepping out of the tree line she came face to face with Kakashi. He didn't seem to notice her yet and for a moment she thought about walking away to leave him be but, she stopped. If anyone understood how she felt, it had to be him, right? Keiko didn't like receiving help from others but would always try to help when she thought it necessary.

Keiko struggled internally for a moment before sighing and heading over to him. He finally looked up at her when she was a few meters away. She waved, "Hey, Kakashi." He studied her for a moment before looking back down at the memorial stone. Keiko stood next to him, looking down at the stone as well. Even in her drunken haze she could put two and two together. "So... who were you talking to?" Her words were slow and deliberate, not wanting to stumble over her words.

"Just, some old friends." He said after a long silence.

Her eyes softened, "I see... I'm sorry."

"Loss of life happens in war." He said bluntly.

Keiko placed a hand on his arm. She was several inches shorter than him and found his shoulder to be a little to high for her with how drunk she was. "War or not, it doesn't make their loss any less painful." She paused to gather her thoughts, "Guy's told me that you've seen way too much death. It weighs heavily on you."

Beneath his mask Kakashi found himself frowning. He wasn't the biggest fan at being analyzed, especially not from someone so drunk. He could smell it through his mask. It was odd though, for all the time he had watched her this was the first time he had seen her drink. Kakashi shrugged, "Guy was in the same war I was."

She nodded, "Yeah. I think the difference is, you lost those closest to you."

Kakashi turned to her then, his one eye calculating, "How much did Guy tell you?"

Keiko smiled and forced a laugh, removing her hand from his arm. It was nice to be able to focus on Kakashi's trauma father than her own. "Just that. You have seen far too much death. He didn't say who." Her eyes were cast downward at the memorial and she crouched in front of it. Raising a finger she traced a few names, "It makes sense though. You are solitary and push others away, even those who still care for you. I think, you're afraid to loose anyone else."

Kakashi looked down at the woman in mild surprise. He had to wonder to himself if what she said was even true as he had never given it much thought before. After the deaths of his teammates he threw himself into his work. If he focused on his missions, he didn't need to focus on the pain. Of course, he still visited the memorial everyday that he could find time as his own way of coping. It made him feel like they were still there in some way. Like they could at least still see or hear him, even if he couldn't.

She looked over her shoulder up at him and smiled gently, "Ya know, I bet they're proud of you."

His eyes widened at the statement. Proud? Of him? How could they be proud of someone who failed them? He wasn't there for them when he should have been. Couldn't get his head out of his ass to see what was really important.

Keiko was oblivious to Kakashi's shock. She turned back to the memorial and continued, "You're still here. I-I bet you've learned a lot since the war. You've managed to stay strong without them. Some people break into pieces when they lose someone..." Her voice became more quiet as she carried on.

Kakashi knew instantly that she was talking about more than himself. "Like you, with Itachi."

She stiffened, trying to stand but stayed crouched when she couldn't find the strength to. Keiko laughed nervously, "We're talking 'bout you, Kakashi. Not me. What happened also had an effect on you."

He could not deny that Itachi's actions had left a wound in him he could not explain. He had thought that through his teachings, Kakashi could steer Itachi to the light. In short, he thought that he could have prevented this kind of outcome. Though, Kakashi could never have guessed that it would be this bad. "I was his Captain. If anyone should have seen it coming, it would have been me."

Keiko shook her head as she stood, using the stone to give her leverage, "I-I was his friend. O-or... I thought I was..." Her eyes met his and Kakashi couldn't help take in the pain she was feeling. It was almost like looking into a mirror, her pain almost mirrored his when he first lost Obito. "Itachi, was kind. Distant and often cold, but he was kind. We got to a point were we could talk about anything. But, now, he might as well be dead." He was dead. At least, the Itachi she knew was dead.

Kakashi understood her feelings and realized that they had more in common than he realized. "I'm sorry."

Keiko took a step forward and stumbled but stopped before smacking into him. Her hand was up and she shook her finger from side to side. "No. No, no, no, don't be." She looked up at him and her finger came to rest on his masked lips. Kakashi was taken aback by the action and could feel his face heat up at the suddenly bold gesture. "You've got enough on your plate. Y-you can blame me instead. A-After all... I- thought he could come to me with his problems."

Kakashi shook his head, "Some people have problems they have to face on their own."

"Yeah, but... I-I shouldn't have let him suffer alone... if he was..."

He was going to say something in protest but was surprised when she fell forward onto him. His arms went up to catch her, her arms linking with his and her face smooshed into his vest. Kakashi sighed at the now unconscious woman in his arms before hoisting her up into a more comfortable position. Carrying her bridal style he took her back to her apartment, entering through the window.

Kakashi looked around the apartment. It was the first time he had stepped foot inside. He had always watched her from a distance, taking turns with Itachi and Tenzo to watch over her incase Danzo ever tried anything. That mission would be a thing of the past for him now though, as he was no longer part of the Anbu. He thought about what would become of that mission, if the Third Hokage would still find it to be important after so long.

He entered her bedroom and realized it had been about two years since he learned of her existence. He placed her on her bed and stood watching her for a moment as she grumbled incoherently and turned into a more comfortable position. Kakashi looked down at her and found himself thinking of what she had said to him, for him to blame her. While he would never do that, he found himself admiring her selflessness.

The entire time they spoke he could feel her own pain radiating off of her, but she insisted on trying to talk to him about his own problems. While he could never imagine why his fallen comrades would be proud of him, he did find the thought to be a comforting one. Keiko chose to focus on him rather than herself. He noticed it was a common theme for her, and it was something he couldn't help but admire and respect.

Just over 5,000 words! I had fun with this one. I want to try and build their relationship up naturally, I hate the stories where things are instant. If people fell in love that way, maybe I wouldn't be alone... (T_T)

Let me know what you think!

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Posted: 6/14/2021