The morning Avurin was set to leave with Team Kakashi following an urgent missive detailing the kidnapping of the Kazekage, she found herself heaving into the toilet. Kakashi had left early, telling her to meet them at the front gates after he took care of the paperwork and picked up the mission details. When she'd stepped out of bed, her vision swam and her head was pounding. She had barely made it to the bathroom in time for her to empty her stomach, gagging over the rim of the toilet with tears falling from her eyes.
Thinking back, they had eaten a large meal at the barbeque restaurant Asuma's team frequented the previous night. It was currently sitting in front of her in the bowl. They had been rushing through cooking everything at the table's barbeque pit so it wasn't impossible that she could have eaten some partially raw meat. Wiping her mouth with a towel that they kept on the counter, she flushed the toilet and fell backwards to sit on the floor, her back audibly thumping against the wall.
She felt awful and she knew Kakashi wouldn't let her go on a mission if she wasn't completely fit and ready to go. She also couldn't hide this from him. He would smell it a mile away, even if she took a shower. He always knew a day before she would get sick with anything, claiming her scent would change prior to her immune system failing to prevent a sickness.
He hadn't made any comments about it the previous day but, then again, he'd been distracted by the chaos surrounding the kidnapping of the Kazekage. They had only been allowed to sleep for a couple of hours before they were set to leave that morning, the missive having arrived extremely late at night.
She none-too-gently hit the back of her head lightly against the wall, gritting her teeth. Even if this was a simple case of food poisoning, she was going to be taken off of the mission. There was no avoiding it. She should have been ready and leaving the house by that point but she didn't even try to get ready. While it would delay Kakashi by a few minutes, she would stay put so he could find her.
Sure enough, after about ten minutes of sitting on the bathroom floor cradling her head, Kakashi nearly busted down the door.
"You feel distressed. What's going on?" Oh, right, the bond. Awfully convenient. She groaned and pushed herself to stand on wobbling legs, wrapping her arm around her midsection.
"As inconvenient as this is, I've been throwing up and I have a headache. I might be sick. I was waiting for you to come back so I could tell you not to wait for me. I know you wouldn't risk the mission by bringing a potentially sick member of the team." She turned the sink on and started washing her face, hiding the bitter look on her face. She'd been looking forward to joining her new team for the mission, especially one that she felt she could actually make a difference in.
"It's for the best, Avie. You know it is. I won't risk you getting hurt because you're sick." Kakashi gave her a soft hug from behind, his Jonin jacket rigid against the soft fabric of her haori. It wasn't exactly comfortable but she leaned into him regardless. "We'll be back before you know it. Rest and get better while we're gone." With a quick kiss to her cheek that was partially blocked by his mask, he stepped towards the door. She turned to him, feeling very exposed and helpless for once in her life. She didn't want him to go.
"Be safe, please. If you die, I'm going to bring you back just to kill you again." She didn't bother to hide the slight hitch in her voice as she spoke. She did, however, manage to fight back the stinging that started developing in her eyes. He chuckled lightly, turning to leave.
"I'll be fine. Go lay down and rest, Avie."
…
He was not fine. When Avurin received the message from one of Tsunade's messenger hawks a couple of days later, she bolted for the hospital as quickly as possible. Her sickness was still persistent, random nausea throughout her days accompanied by a headache. She hadn't thought to visit Tsunade just yet, not quite feeling so sick that she needed treatment. As much shit as she gave Kakashi for avoiding the hospital, she was just as bad.
This time, however, she ran through the hallways as if she had enemy shinobi on her tail. Tsunade had helpfully provided the room number in her message, so Avurin was able to find it without a problem, saving a lot of time on her part. Swinging the door open, Kakashi was laid out on a bed, the sheet pulled up to cover his face. Tsunade was standing next to him, writing a few things on a clipboard.
"How is he?" Avurin asked, walking into the room and closing the door as she caught her breath. Tsunade looked up from the clipboard with a sigh, tapping her pen thoughtfully.
"He has chakra exhaustion. He used his Mangekyo Sharingan on the mission and knocked himself out. He'll need a week to recover, possibly longer. Nothing permanent, though." Avurin let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding. Kakashi was safe, just tired. She was still upset with him but at least he was alive.
"What about everyone else?" she couldn't help but ask. Tsunade hummed quietly, setting the clipboard on a table on the side of the room.
"Everyone's fine. They got pretty lucky. Several battles with Akatsuki members broke out but the mission was a success. The Kazekage was retrieved, however the One-Tailed Beast was extracted from him and several measures had to be taken to revive him after the removal." Tsunade delivered the information calmly but Avurin could tell there was a lot more to the story. The fact that the Kazekage was blatantly attacked in his own village and brought down even with the full power of a tailed beast spoke volumes about the enemies they were dealing with. "I'll leave you with him. The kids may drop by to see him so don't be surprised if this room starts getting crowded. There's a stool in the corner if you want to sit with him."
Tsunade left without saying anything else, the silence in the room was oppressive given the setting and the situation. Avurin sighed, picking up the stool Tsunade had offered and set it down next to Kakashi's bed. Running her fingers through his hair, she let her mind stay carefully blank for a while. She had spent the last couple of days so worried about him, that she could physically feel the weight lifting off of her shoulders knowing he was breathing and safe.
"Avie-sensei! Are you feeling better? Kakashi-sensei said that you were sick!" Naruto's voice snapped her out of her daze and she pulled her hand from Kakashi's hair.
"I'm feeling a little better but I definitely wasn't well enough to go on the mission. How are you guys?" Pleasantries didn't feel right at the moment but since it was Naruto, she was a little more comfortable talking with him. She was tired. She could feel a deep ache in her arms and legs that betrayed how little sleep she had gotten lately along with the frequent trips to empty her stomach.
"We're all okay! Kakashi-sensei pretty much collapsed out there but from what we heard, he's just tired so that's good." They were cut off as more kids walked into the room along with Gai, all of them starting to converse about the mission. Kakashi let out a quiet groan, waking up slowly.
"Hey there, sleepyhead…" she muttered, brushing his bangs away from his forehead.
The kids were chattering as Tsunade re-entered the room and started recounting the mission, congratulating the teams. While she was speaking, Kakashi flinched slightly, the sheet on his face lowering just a little bit. Avurin watched with a twitch in her eye as Naruto started getting curious, leaning over Kakashi to try to glimpse his face. Without saying a word, she gently pulled the sheet back over Kakashi's nose, glaring at the pup. Naruto rolled his eyes in response before crossing his arms and pouting.
When they cleared out, Avurin let out a sigh of relief. Kakashi was still tired, his forehead starting to sweat from the strain of staying awake. Wetting a cloth with a provided bucket of cold water, she wrung it out and placed it on his forehead. He didn't have a fever but Tsunade had explained that it could be some comfort to him if he started struggling.
He fell into a fitful sleep, tossing his head occasionally with his eyes flickering behind his eyelids. She could only imagine that he was reliving the fight while he was unconscious. Tsunade didn't bother to tell her to leave when visiting time was over, already knowing she wouldn't. When the room started to darken with the setting of the sun, she didn't wait to ask permission. Sliding into the bed carefully at Kakashi's side, she did her best not to disturb him. She hadn't slept well in days, she was taking the opportunity, even if it wasn't ideal.
…
He was permitted to go home the next day under strict orders of remaining on bedrest. Avurin didn't argue and didn't allow him to argue either. She was still feeling sick in waves throughout the day and would much rather spend her time at home, preferably with him there as well. She could tell that Tsunade was suspicious of her condition and on the edge of dragging her into an examination room to diagnose her with what she suspected was a virus.
Kakashi was escorted home by Gai since he was still struggling to walk. It was awkward even though they made sure to move under the cover of night, not wanting any rumors to spread. Avurin had to throw up behind a tree during the walk, telling Gai to keep walking towards the Hatake compound when he'd tried to stop and wait for her. When she caught up with them at the gates, she was surprised to see that Gai was already acknowledged by the wards as a safe presence. They leapt over the wall, deciding that undoing the chains on the gate would be more trouble.
"We're going to my cabin in the back," Avurin directed with a shaky breath when she noticed Gai was going towards the main house. Gai raised an eyebrow but didn't reply with any witty comments and she immediately felt unsure of the situation. Gai was unnaturally serious and it made her stomach turn uncomfortably.
Getting Kakashi settled into their bed was easy enough, the man even let out a long groan of relief as his head settled into the pillows. Gai met Avurin's eyes over the bed and tilted his head towards the door. Nodding, she smoothed Kakashi's hair back from his forehead and followed Gai into the living room.
"Will you be okay watching him for the rest of the week? You're not looking good, Avurin." Gai's serious stare was enough for Avurin to shift on her feet, feeling oddly self-conscious.
"I'm fine. It's just occasional nausea and a headache. I should be recovered in just a few days considering I've already been sick since you guys left for the mission. I just haven't been sleeping well so I'm more tired than usual." Avurin crossed her arms, holding back a small shiver that wanted to creep down her back. She could handle interrogations, however, interrogations from Gai were something that she never wanted to ever find herself on the receiving end of. Gai's answering sigh had her staring at the floor, mentally noting the knots in the wood paneling.
"Okay, but don't hesitate to come get one of us if either of you get worse. I know my rival makes a point to take care of you as much as possible, but he needs to be taken care of every once in a while too. Even if he doesn't want it." Gai's smile was back on his face as he walked back to the door, putting his shoes on. Giving her a thumbs up, he nearly ripped the door off of its hinges in his haste to leave. Smiling to herself, Avurin decided to go to the kitchen and make herself a cup of ginger tea. While she normally enjoyed different teas, the ginger tea had been helping significantly in settling her stomach before bed.
…
As the next few days progressed, Avurin doted on Kakashi. She didn't want to admit it, but she was doting. Her stomach had started to settle more as Kakashi's condition improved and she was sleeping completely through the night, wrapped around him in their bed like a cuddly octopus. She soaked in his presence like a sunflower soaked in the sun. Letting him out of her sight had become unbearable, her neck itching near her mating bite anytime she couldn't see him.
Was it healthy? Absolutely not. Did she care? No. She was absorbing every second with him as if it would be their last. She spent most of her day in bed when he needed to rest, cuddling as close as physically possible. He didn't really protest since he spent most of his time sleeping. When he was awake, he simply reminded her that they needed to eat or shower when those things were due. He told her about the mission on the third day as well as what he had learned about the Akatsuki.
Avurin's concern peaked and her drive to stay near him only increased with the newfound information of how dangerous their enemies were. When Tsunade sent letters to check in on them, she sent simple replies only stating that they were fine and still recovering.
On the fifth day, Kakashi was wandering out of bed at every opportunity. That day had been the first morning of that week that she'd woken up without him at her side and it had sent her into a panic. She found him in the backyard after a few frantic minutes, stretching innocently with his shirt off and his pants riding low on his hips. Without any hesitation, she ran into the grass with bare feet, grabbing his arm and dragging him back to the bed. He protested, telling her he was starting to feel better and he needed to get his blood flowing, that he couldn't spend the entire week in bed.
"Tsunade said a week of bedrest, not five days of bedrest and then going straight back to training. Please come back to bed?" Her voice had wavered and she'd pouted, something she rarely did for him. He'd nearly melted if his expression was anything to go by, allowing her to lead him by his arm back to their bed just to pull him under the covers and wrap herself around him again. She'd spent the rest of the day pulling him back into the bed, preventing him from even getting up to make himself a snack.
On the seventh day, she'd woken up to his nose buried in her neck, taking long, deep breaths. He must have noticed that she was awake when she turned her head to give him more access because his hands on her hips tightened.
"You smell… sweet. I don't know why but you just smell amazing," he grumbled into her ear, his erection grinding against her thigh as his hips made a short thrust. Normally, she would turn to face him and encourage him, willing to take whatever he was promising to give her. However, her stomach had other ideas.
"Mmm, 'Kashi. I love you, but I'm hungry. Really hungry. Later tonight if you're feeling better, okay?" she mumbled, pulling herself away from him slightly. He let out a disappointed whine but allowed her to pull away. She stumbled to the kitchen and started digging through the cabinets, trying to find something substantial but easy to make.
They were both going to report to the hospital per Tsunade's orders that morning. Kakashi needed to have an assessment done to ensure he didn't have permanent damage to his chakra coils and, following a report Avurin sent out saying that she was feeling better, Tsunade wanted to speak with her. A nagging voice in the back of her head, suspiciously close to Tsunade's own voice, told her that she was due for a mission.
Missing the last mission simply for being sick had not gone over well with Tsunade. Among other things, she was told that getting a stomach ache in high stress situations was uncalled for. Throwing up in the potted plant in the Hokage's office was a resounding reply to that assessment. Since then, the topic was carefully danced around but Avurin knew that she needed to 'get back to work' at some point.
Preparing a hearty breakfast with a heavy helping of rice, she brought two plates to the kitchen table and walked back to the bedroom.
"I made breakfast. Since you're no longer on bed rest, you should come join me at the table." She didn't delay, leaving him to get himself ready for the day as she made her way back to the kitchen, sitting down and starting the task of eating her food. She hadn't kept down much over the last week and a half which made controlling the pace of her eating difficult, wanting nothing more than to stuff her face as much as possible.
For the first time in a while, she didn't feel nauseous in the slightest. It was a significant improvement and she considered herself finally over the ridiculous virus that had plagued her since the mission to rescue Gaara.
"Take a second to breathe, Avie. The food isn't going to grow legs and run away," Kakashi teased as he entered the room, sitting down at the table across from her. He brought his hands together in a quick thanks for the food before pulling his mask down to start eating, humming occasionally in appreciation.
Avurin had been making food for him while he was on bed rest, but between sleeping for the sake of recovering and the other physical ailments that came with chakra exhaustion, she could guess that he hadn't really had the energy to appreciate the food over the last week. Taking his words into consideration, she tried to slow down her own eating, not deeming his comment worthy of a response.
When they finished, he took their plates to the sink and washed them, giving her a moment to sit and process the food she'd eaten. She took a few seconds to take in his appearance, almost disappointed to find that he was fully dressed in his uniform in preparation for the day. His mask was still bunched around his neck, the same mask that she had made for him back in the cabin, which indicated he wasn't expecting anything taxing from his day.
She needed to make him a new one, she could see how stretched the stitching was now that she was taking a moment to look at it. It was a miracle that it still hugged his face correctly.
"Tsunade wants us to meet her at the hospital in an hour. I've been exchanging letters with her while you were recovering and this should just be an appointment to check your chakra coils for permanent damage. I received an official summons for the same time and place though, so I might be taking a mission now that I'm feeling better." Avurin explained, picking at her nails. She wasn't mentally prepared to take a mission with the current climate of the world, but she would if she had to. She felt completely useless after her blunder with the recovery mission.
"We'll see what she has to say. Want to leave early and stretch our legs?" Kakashi suggested as he finished drying the dishes. She groaned but nodded, hauling herself up from her place at the table. She was feeling tired despite the week that she'd been in bed with Kakashi.
"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Kakashi asked as they left the cabin, walking casually through the property on their way to the gate. Approaching the entrance, Avurin eyed the chains around the actual gate of the compound.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Hey, why do you keep this place chained up? Shouldn't the wards be enough to keep threats out?" The question had been bothering Avurin since they had brought Kakashi back from the hospital. While they were healthy, the gate wasn't an obstacle but watching Gai jump the fence with Kakashi on his back had brought up the concern.
"Mah, I'm just too lazy to take them off if I'm honest. We can remove them anytime, there really wasn't a reason for them aside from dissuading any civilian intruders from trying to get in while it was unoccupied." Kakashi answered, his hands stuffed into his pockets with the familiar casual slouch to his back. Avurin sighed, jumping the fence with him as they kept their casual pace to the hospital.
"I think we should take them off. I've been getting tired of jumping the fence every time we come and go from the compound." They kept up the small talk as they walked through the streets of Konoha, slowly making their way to the hospital.
Arriving at the hospital, Avurin suppressed the queasy feeling in her stomach. She was partially excited for a potential mission but she wasn't quite as excited for the potential scolding from Tsunade.
When they were led to a room, Kakashi sat down on the bed as the official 'patient' for the day. Tsunade arrived only a minute later, a scowl already firmly set in place on her face. Avurin tried not to feel cowed under the pointed glare thrown her way.
"Kakashi, I'm going to look you over but you're still not leaving the village for another week until your chakra is fully replenished so don't get any ideas. I'm sure Avurin has already suspected that she's about to be sent on a mission to make up for the complete circus her absence the last time resulted in." Tsunade's hands glowed a faint green color as she started assessing Kakashi's chakra coils. "And on that, you're right. Avurin, you're being sent on a mission. This mission will be A-Rank so I'm kicking Kakashi out as soon as I'm done with him. Standard protocol." Kakashi's visible eye narrowed in Tsunade's direction and Avurin crossed her arms, huffing to herself. She hadn't had an A-Rank mission before but with her status as a Jonin, it was expected.
"She just got over being sick. Are you sure this is a good idea, Tsunade?" Kakashi grumbled as she continued her assessment. A harsh thwack against his back forced him to cough as the breath was knocked out of him.
"She's fully capable and I still don't believe that she was actually that sick. She looks fine. Use your head for once instead of your dick and let your wife go on a mission without you." Kakashi muttered under his breath as she stepped away, her hands on her hips and a stern scowl on her face. "Both of you know that there can't be too much conflict of interest in these things or we're all in trouble. I need Avurin's skills specifically for this mission. That being said, get out. I don't need you moping around in here while I talk with her about this. You're on light duty for a week, your coils are recovered so now it's just a matter of recovering your chakra." Kakashi openly glared at Tsunade as he stalked out of the room.
"What's going on, Tsunade? I'm assuming you need my kekkei genkai?" Avurin asked as Tsunade placed silencing seals on all four corners of the room, higher ranked and more complicated than the standard seals in each hospital room.
"I lied to Kakashi. This mission is actually S-Rank in nature. You're going to be scouting out a potential lab of Orochimaru's." Tsunade leaned against the hospital bed that Kakashi had been sitting on, carefully observing Avurin. Avurin couldn't help the shiver that crept down her spine. "Given your previous interactions with him, I believe you'll be the only one able to fend him off if he catches you. Your kekkei genkai is strong after all of the practice you've had in T&I so you have a failsafe on the off chance that Orochimaru realizes you're nearby. The main concern I have is that you're not a sensor. Don't allow a sneak attack or fall into any traps, remaining unseen is the priority. I've detailed the information we're looking for in this mission scroll." Tsunade pulled a scroll from her sleeve, a black wax seal prominent on the edge of the paper.
"And if he finds a way to neutralize my kekkei genkai? He's been pretty open about how 'curious' he is about it. You do realize that my capture could be detrimental to the safety of Konoha? Even if he just gets my body after death, if he unlocks any secrets, you're in for a lot of trouble." Avurin couldn't help but be worried. Her kekkei genkai was purely hers as the last remaining Okita and the secrecy around the jutsu she used was high on her priority list. Orochimaru was a direct threat to her. Tsunade's heavy sigh in response didn't sit right with her.
"You're being given the standard Anbu seals in case that situation comes to pass. I expect you to survive this, Avurin. It's a simple surveillance mission. The subject of the surveillance is what raises the rank. We need to know if he's actively using this base and I want to get some idea of the size and what it's being used for. I expect this to take you between two and three weeks. If you don't come back by the beginning of the fourth week, I'll assume that you're captured. I want you back before that fourth week. Use any means to survive if you are captured. Only use the last resort tags if all hope is lost. Best case scenario, the base is empty or is being used only as a safehouse for that snake." Avurin felt sick but she nodded. This was what she signed up for by returning to Konoha and continuing to climb the ranks.
"I understand. When do I leave?" she asked, carefully opening the scroll in her hands. The seal broke the exact same way as any other seal would. Unraveling the scroll, she took in the information. The base was in the Northern portion of the Land of Fire, hidden in a dusty area full of rocky outcroppings and plateaus. Her entire route was planned, her supplies were sealed in a separate scroll that she would pick up from Kotetsu and Izumo on her way out of the village, even her clothes were going to be provided so she could blend into the environment. Memorizing the information, she activated the burn seal that reduced the scroll to dust. Nothing to track.
"Tomorrow morning. Tell your dog to be on his best behavior or I'm neutering him." Avurin rolled her eyes.
"You know I can't control his ass. All I can say is good luck with him." Avurin laughed, but she couldn't help how dry it sounded. Tsunade noticed immediately but didn't respond other than to narrow her eyes. "I guess I'll head home and pack. I'll head out before the sun rises so contact me before then if there are any changes." Tsunade gave her a simple nod before Avurin turned around, dismissing herself. This kind of meeting with the Hokage wasn't standard by any means, but Avurin had her suspicions that this was being done under the table in some way.
Kakashi was waiting for her as soon as she exited the room. She plastered on her best smile for him, hiding her nerves to the best of her ability.
"Let's go get some soba. I head out in the morning so I'd like to have a nice date with my mate before I leave."
