In a Cabin in the Woods
In a cabin in the woods, lived a lovely maiden.
Oh she seemed so meek and mild but she was misbehavin'.
Foreign nations send their spies, sometimes they are maidens.
Leaf shinobi should take care, lest with life they're payin'.
Chapter 1
Just outside the border of Earth Country, kunai zipped silently through the air followed by the ping ping ping of the answering deflections. Kakashi's breath came and went in sharp gasps. His injured ribs, he hadn't had a chance to assess how bad the damage was, felt like they were collapsing on his lungs and each strained inhale was agony. It was a wonder he was still standing after such an ambush but he'd gotten lucky with a few tricks.
Now there were only four enemies left but that was feeling like four too many. He needed this fight to be over, ideally yesterday. Considering how every moment was a struggle just to stay alive, his extra projects like ending the battle were not going so well. To complicate matters, the fight was inching closer to a civilian settlement.
The Leaf ANBU jumped to avoid a surprisingly powerful fireball. Make that five enemies, not four; Kakashi grimaced. The scorched air stung his nose as he landed in a garden. Too close, he thought. The garden belonged to a small cabin nestled among some trees on the outskirts of the village. Kakashi vainly hoped it was unoccupied, but then the door opened.
A beautiful woman stepped out into the fall sunshine. She was strangely out of place in the day that Kakashi was having, much like the blue sky and singing birds that formed the backdrop of her appearance. Her hair was a rich auburn, ridiculously long, and braided down her back. Her green dress matched and accentuated her eyes so well that he almost couldn't look away. Almost.
Those green eyes widened in terror at seeing the group of ninja so close. She dropped her basket, mouth forming a small o.
Kakashi wanted to call out, to say something to reassure her, but he had his hands full. He pushed a wave of water at the group of four, then sent a separate, quick jet at the surprise fire-style user. The water jet looked too weak to bother dodging but that was the man's last mistake; the kunai hidden inside met its mark.
The four remaining adversaries quickly recovered from their involuntary bath. One of the men spun, winding up, and threw a giant shuriken. Kakashi only had a moment to wonder why the man's aim was so poor before he realized the danger. The Leaf ANBU darted to the cabin. Kakashi realized even as he ran that the Stone ninja was trying to herd him into a corner but it didn't matter. The fiend had thrown the shuriken at the civilian! She was still gaping in horror when Kakashi launched himself in front of her, a kunai in each hand.
Oversized shuriken were slow but heavy and the Stone ninja had put some force behind it. The sheer weight of the thing bore Kakashi down even after he'd stopped it. The sharp blades caught under his gauntlets, ripped into his sleeves, and bit his arms.
His vision whited out for a moment but any complaint of the pain was reduced to a hiss between clenched teeth. Kakashi threw the giant throwing star off and regained his balance. The enemies closed in. It was too close, for them.
Ignoring the pain in his arms and the burning in his chest, Kakashi activated his lightning blade. His eyes zeroed in on his targets. The lightning in his palm flickered and glowed, giving Kakashi the appearance of a ghost, like he wasn't all there. One of the four Stone ninja hesitated at the crackling lightning; he'd be the last to die. Kakashi used his top speed and tore through them like paper. He ended the technique with a pained exhale and closed his eye. Kakashi turned to survey the bloody mess he'd left in the front yard, very aware of his audience. Green eyes stared at him out of a pale face.
"I'll um- I'll clean this up", Kakashi promised in the ensuing silence. He felt exposed without his ANBU mask, he'd had it off when the ambush occurred, but perhaps it made him more personable in this situation. Then again, looking at her still-shocked face, maybe it wouldn't have mattered.
When she didn't reply the Leaf ninja shifted his feet nervously. The adrenaline from battle was starting to leave him and he wanted to sit down, maybe dress his wounds. The look on her face kept him upright, wanting to appease her. "I'm sorry this happened, I never meant to get this close to your village. They attacked me and-" He trailed off. Her mouth had closed and she looked a little more alert. She's tough, he thought. What he said was, "are you okay?"
She nodded, glancing around and behind him. "I think the squash survived," she offered, the change in topic casual.
Kakashi looked at the garden. It was late enough in the season that most of the produce had been brought in. The winter squash was still on the vine but the yellow curling leaves were now burnt black from the fire jutsu. He thought he saw some singed carrot tops in one row. "The carrots should be okay too," he added.
She regarded him with what almost looked like amusement before she wiped the smirk away. There was a dead body where her radishes had been earlier that year.
"I'll clean this up," Kakashi said again, feeling like he needed her permission. He also felt that sitting down was a good idea. His head seemed heavy but his mind kept drifting, that wasn't good.
"Maybe we should bandage your arms first," she pointed out.
Lightning Blade spent, blood dripped down from Kakashi's lacerated arms to the tips of his fingers and onto the footpath. He observed the bloody droplets with a detached fascination. That didn't seem like the proper reaction so he turned his observations inward. When Kakashi started to catalogue how his body felt, he noted that his ribs were probably bruised…as in all of them. He didn't really feel like doing a self-examination to figure out if they were bruised or broken. Nothing was poking out of his chest so there was no hurry. That self-reassurance was shaken when he swayed a little. He should really sit, soon.
As if reading his mind, the woman waved a hand at him. "Just, sit down there, I'll get some bandages." She darted back in the cabin before he could stop her.
He had his own bandages. Kakashi meant to tell her that but a wave of dizziness distracted him. A sudden jolt of pain zipped through him, it felt like a tailed beast had backhanded him. He held back a curse and focused on breathing through clenched teeth.
He didn't remember her return but suddenly there she was. When their eyes met Kakashi was confused. Was she above him? When did he get on the ground? Her face distracted him from those thoughts. She really was lovely, if a bit blurry-
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A Leaf ninja, and ANBU besides, that's all I need, Mei steamed as the silver-haired man slumped to the ground. She glared at him with little compassion. As if I don't have problems enough with this mission and the villagers still treating me with suspicion. Those Stone ninja were probably the ones I was supposed to be watching out for. It'll be hard to monitor their movements now that they've been flushed out. She glanced around. And apparently annihilated. She turned her attention to the source of the carnage.
A poisoned kunai slid down into her palm, the move as natural as a blink. If I can convince the villagers that the ninja finished each other off then we could bond over the attack- Her thoughts were cut off by the sounds of calls, exclamations, and, was that someone vomiting? Mei carefully slipped the kunai back up into her sleeve and resumed the posture of shocked civilian. The forementioned villagers rounded a copse and came upon the scene in front of her cabin.
Mei quickly decided on a course of action and dropped to her knees, checking for her "rescuer's" pulse. He was still bleeding on her footpath, alive then, but that wouldn't necessarily be something a civilian would check for. Her hands play-fumbled for his wrist and chest instead. She made sure to shake a little as the villagers approached.
"What happened?" This was asked amidst gasps of amazement.
"They," Mei waved in the general direction of the slaughtered ninja, "attacked. He saved me," she indicated the living, if unconscious, ninja. She spoke up quickly, "let's get him into my cabin, I need to dress his wounds." She mentally cursed the villagers for interfering. If they'd just given her another minute. Now they knew he was in her cabin and alive. If he died, now that he was in her care, then that might blow her cover entirely. She couldn't let him out of her sight now that he'd seen her but to keep him close as he recovered made it more likely that she'd be recognized. No, she needed to kill him and make it look like he died from his injuries after all. At least this village didn't have a resident with medical training, she had that to be thankful for. She pondered all this as they carried him in and laid him on her bed. He was pale and limp but his wounds hardly looked fatal.
Mei frowned. What to do. A poison perhaps? But why wouldn't a poison have killed him right away? There were poisons that were slow-acting but if she gave a too detailed explanation then suspicion would fall on her. Mei sighed. Why couldn't they have just minded their own business? Mei and another woman bound his wounds quickly. Most of the men from the village were outside, digging graves in the woods nearby.
"Someone should stay with you," another woman spoke up. Mei turned to meet her eyes and the elder woman nodded at the ninja. "It's not safe for you to be alone. What if he's violent when he wakes up? What if he-" Propriety kept her from finishing the sentence.
"There really isn't room for anyone else," Mei pointed out and it was the truth. Her cabin was small, there wouldn't be much room left on the floor once she'd laid down and the injured ninja was taking the bed. "I can take care of myself. It will be fine."
The older woman gave a disapproving sniff and looked at the sleeping ninja suspiciously. Mei felt marginally better about the way the villagers had treated her so far. It wasn't just her that they were distrustful of, her and her poor spying skills. She'd been a little resentful about being sent on this mission in the first place. It was hardly her skill set and kept her far away from the Hidden Mist Village. Was someone trying to get her out of the way? She mentally shook herself, no time for speculation now.
The old woman finally spoke. "Do you want us to tie him down?"
Mei wanted to laugh but held herself back. Even if he was chakra exhausted, which seemed likely, a ninja could escape ropes. "I don't think that's necessary. He is injured after all." And Mei was quite a powerful ninja, not that these civilians knew that. She unconsciously brushed her hand over her stomach.
Mei counted the seconds until the villagers had all gone back to their homes. The cabin was crowded enough with the Leaf ninja, she didn't need people snooping around outside as well. Mei turned to the task of the evening meal, still thinking about her uninvited guest. What was the safer course, kill him now and blow her cover with the villagers? Or let him live and risk him recognizing her and revealing her location to his superiors? If she killed him to silence him then she'd lose either way but there was a possibility he wouldn't need to be silenced. She sighed. It had been a long day and she had a headache. She decided to let him live for now and would only kill him if he became a threat.
The Leaf ninja stirred in her bed and Mei's back stiffened. She forced herself to relax and take a deep breath. Time to act her part. In the spirit of that, she realized that she needed to get more water boiling. She grabbed her well bucket and dashed out the door, hoping she wouldn't miss him waking up. She wanted to get a read on him when he was still sleepy and unguarded.
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Kakashi woke up on a soft bed in the corner of a cabin. He was careful to keep his left eye closed, his chakra was too low for him to risk it, while he surveyed the space. It was a one room situation with a fireplace, bed, cupboard, and table. Everything was tidy and cozy. The fire crackled, devouring its fresh log, but the owner of the cabin was nowhere to be seen.
He tried to sit up but his ribs had something nasty to say about that. The overuse of chakra alone would have left him dizzy but his ribs had him seeing stars. He focused on taking deep excruciating breaths. Pain was unavoidable with rib injuries. He could breathe lightly and repress his coughs but the long-term effects of that would be worse. He eased back down, slightly dazed. Once he could concentrate again, Kakashi took stock of his situation. His arms were bandaged, someone had removed his gauntlets, and his sandals were off. He was relieved to feel all his weapons in place and the Sharingan safe. Before he could check anything else, the door opened and the beautiful woman in green strode in with a bucket of water.
"You're awake," she declared the obvious but with a smile on her face that softened his heart.
"Mah, sorry about that," Kakashi felt like he was apologizing a lot to this woman. He didn't even know her name.
"I'm just glad you're feeling better, after you rescued me from those ninja." She shuddered.
Kakashi was taken aback. They wouldn't have been anywhere near her if it hadn't been for him. He said as much but she waved him off.
"Stone ninja trespass here without permission all the time but you're far from home. I'm sure you wouldn't have come traipsing up to my door waving knives around if there wasn't a good reason."
"You don't know that," Kakashi cautioned her. She needed to be a little more aware of how dangerous the world was than this; it could get her seriously hurt in the future. She looked to be nearly twenty, like himself. He wondered why she was living alone but thought it would be impolite to ask.
She stirred something in a small pot hanging over the fire. It smelled delicious, a soup he hoped. He felt too tired to chew. Then she poured the well water into a larger pot and switched that pot out for the smaller one. Kakashi watched her, mesmerized, she was so graceful!
"My name's Kakashi," he began but then stopped. It suddenly struck him how stupid it was to give his real name! He should probably stop talking, he still felt a little out of it and he might say something incriminating.
She turned to him, an expression on her face he couldn't quite read. Was it surprise? Was that a smirk? "My name's Mei," she replied.
It was a common enough name but she was anything but common, Kakashi thought. This woman, she was competent in everything she did, it was in her every movement, her every look. She was a force to be reckoned with and she knew it. Kakashi got the sense that anything she didn't know, she'd learn it and quickly too. That confidence, with the competence to back it, was extremely attractive. Her actions were at odds with her naïve words but Kakashi didn't give the discrepancy the attention it deserved.
"Nice to meet you," he remembered his manners before the silence got awkward.
"Likewise." After a moment too long she blinked and turned away. She floated to the cooling soup and started ladling it into bowls. "Do you think you can eat?" She called over her shoulder.
Kakashi slowly sat up, adjusting his position in the bed so he had a backrest. Fuzy white edges to his vision threatened but retreated once he was still again. "Yes, thank you, I appreciate it. Rations can get mundane after awhile."
"I can't imagine," she replied with a smile, bringing the soup over. She sat in a chair next to the bed and they ate in a comfortable silence.
Kakashi didn't have to hide his face much, his host was intent on her own meal. He was surprised by her lack of interest but didn't comment on it. It was nice not having to shield his face from over-curious eyes.
When they'd finished, Kakashi looked around the cabin thoughtfully. "I appreciate your hospitality but I really should get going. I've imposed on you enough." Kakashi managed to push himself into a standing position but then had to put a hand on the wall to keep his feet.
Mei rushed forward, her skirt swishing. "You need to lie down! It's not an imposition. You exhausted your chakra fighting to protect me! My home! The least I can do is give you a place to rest."
"A place with one room and one bed." Kakashi mentioned pointedly.
Mei's eyebrows drew together sharply. "I live humbly and I'm not ashamed of that."
Kakashi's eyes widened in turn, "no no, I wasn't implying- I only meant that I'd crowd you, there's nothing wrong with your home."
"I have a bedroll," Mei said.
"So do I," Kakashi replied.
"You've already dirtied my sheets," Mei shot back.
Kakashi glanced at the bed. The turning movement took more effort than he would have liked. Sure enough, there were flecks of dried blood where his arms had been. He grimaced in embarrassment. "I'll clean that up."
"You say that a lot," Mei replied archly.
This gave Kakashi pause. "You're right. I should go bury those men, clean up your garden."
Mei frowned. "Bury them?"
"Well I can't leave them on your path and I'm not going to just throw them in the woods," Kakashi replied. "They're people too."
"They tried to kill you," she pointed out. The statement wasn't shocked or fearful, but almost a confused questioning of his reasoning.
Kakashi thoughtlessly shrugged and the movement made him wince. He carefully relaxed his posture, grimacing behind his mask. "A lot of people have tried to kill me; it'd take a lot of energy to hold it against them." He moved to push himself up and away from the wall but Mei remembered herself this time and forced him back until he was sitting on the bed again. The pressure on his chest made him gasp in pain and she withdrew her hands quickly.
"The villagers already buried them. You don't have to worry, just rest," she encouraged. "I'll clean up. You can barely stand and it's getting dark out."
Kakashi looked out the window, distracted by the colorful sunset. His eyes felt heavy in such a way that he knew arguing with her would be pointless. Mei stepped forward and helped him lay back down. The soft mattress felt incredible.
Kakashi forced his eyes open, not wanting to give in. "I'll help you in the morning then, with harvesting your garden. The carrots should be okay," he reiterated around a yawn. He'd make it up to her, this invasion on her personal space. Then his mind started to drift, not focusing on anything in particular.
Mei turned to tidy her kitchen space, but then she heard Kakashi muttering something. When she stepped closer to listen he stopped, frowning at the ceiling.
"What is it?" Mei asked.
Kakashi glanced at her, unscarred eye half closed. "Something I learned at the academy, popped into my head." He yawned and forced himself to take a deep breath, his ribs screaming while he did so. Despite the pain, sleep was coming for him. He focused on Mei, almost forgetting to finish his sentence. "A rhyme."
Mei raised her eyebrows expectantly. When she didn't resume her work, Kakashi tried to smile for her. His eyelid was so heavy.
"It's silly," he tried to argue.
"I'd like to hear it." Mei's smile was welcoming.
Kakashi frowned but he wanted to please her. "'In a cabin in the woods, lived a lovely maiden,'" he quoted with an embarrassed look in his eye. "I can't remember the rest." Kakashi yawned again through the pain. His eye closed and sleep overtook him.
Mei smiled, a real smile this time, and went back to her work. When she finished, she turned down the lamp, rolled out her bedroll, and laid herself down. She'd meant to use that time alone with her thoughts to scheme, to make plans and prepare herself for dealing with that Leaf ninja tomorrow. However, all she did was dream.
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The next morning Kakashi carefully stretched under Mei's watchful gaze. The idiot Leaf ninja hadn't mentioned that his ribs were injured and nursing said idiot ninja was not a part of Mei's morning routine! Yet there she was, easing her known enemy out of his ANBU armor so he could feel out the damage. He had a sleeveless shirt underneath. The black material made it hard for Mei to pick out if the mask was attached or separate. Mei tried to keep her eyes on his neck but as Kakashi carefully pressed his hands to various parts of his torso, she couldn't help but follow his progress, and the resulting flex of his arms and shoulders.
It was clear to Mei that Kakashi had suffered rib injuries before. Kakashi's face got paler but his assessment was thorough. "Bruised I think," he finally announced. "Not that that's necessarily better but there's nothing sticking out or into me." His arms and shoulders tensed, his jawline stood out under his mask, but he did not complain. He took a few deep breaths which obviously pained him and he curled in on himself. Mei realized what was happening and shoved a pillow into his hands. He clutched it to his chest. The coughs were necessary but painful. Kakashi's knuckles went white with the pressure of his grip.
"Thank you," Kakashi finally said when he had his breath back.
Mei suggested he rest again but Kakashi only shook his head. He shared that he was feeling better, although Mei wasn't sure how that could be true. He reported it brusquely, not using the friendly manner he had the day before.
Once they'd both eaten breakfast, Mei started to roll up the bedding.
"Can I help?" Kakashi asked.
"You probably shouldn't," Mei replied, eyeing his torso. They'd left his armor off so he was only in his undershirt and pants. His pale skin against the black was an interesting contrast, at least, that's what Mei told herself she was looking at.
"I'll manage," Kakashi replied easily. His gaze was determined so Mei shrugged in agreement.
Together, they rolled up the bedclothes and carried them to the river to wash. Kakashi took a rest on the riverbank while Mei began the process of washing. Kakashi sat among the soft grass and gazed over the river. His eyes kept drifting back to the lone maiden.
Mei was absorbed with her work. There was something satisfying about cleaning, the simple, straightforwardness of it. Her sheets were dirty so she washed them, plain and simple, not like Leaf ninja who fall into your lap. Mei blew her bangs out of her face. She missed her topknot. Her braid kept her long locks orderly but her shorter layers and bangs just wouldn't stay in the plait. She gave the sheets an extra twist to release some frustration. Mei hefted the rung-out sheets up the embankment and onto the clean grass near the forementioned Leaf ninja.
Kakashi carefully cleared his throat. "How did you know I had chakra exhaustion?"
Mei only paused for a fraction of a second, but her heart leapt. She needed a lie and she needed one fast. She continued to arrange the sheets while she thought furiously. "You told me, when I was carrying you into the cabin, you must not remember." She continued to manipulate the damp sheets into neat piles while forcing the knots in her shoulders to relax.
"How did you carry me in?" Kakashi pressed.
Mei's heart dropped. She was caught in both a lie and a slip of the tongue. If she corrected herself, said that the other villagers had helped her carry him, then he might ask them later if he'd mentioned the chakra exhaustion. No, she'd better go with an overly aggressive defense and put an end to this line of questioning.
Mei straightened up, hands on her hips. "Are you implying that only ninja can be strong? That a poor country girl, who carries her own water, grows or catches her own food, and is completely reliant on herself isn't capable of dragging you twenty feet?" She shot him a glare and returned again to her work.
"What are you doing out here all alone?" Kakashi pressed. His iron eyebrows were furrowed, suspicious. Although rib injuries weren't uncommon when Stone ninja favored crushing their adversaries between slabs of earth, it was unusual for a civilian to know the tricks for injured ribs, like how it helps to absorb the impact of a cough by hugging a pillow to your chest. Mei had handed him that pillow without a second thought!
She rounded on him, wringing water out of a pillowcase but pretending it was his neck. "That is none of your business," she spat. Frankly, she'd asked herself the same frustrated question. What WAS she doing out here? Her village was on the verge of ruin and she'd been sent to the border of Earth Country to, what? Monitor the movement of their ninja? What good was that information when the Mist was about to crumble like a sand castle during the first wave of high tide?
Mei's fierce expression shocked Kakashi for a moment. Then he frowned. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed. You've been nothing but kind."
Mei laughed but it ended up choking her. She was irritated and not just by the state of her home. She realized she liked this Leaf ninja. He was better than tolerable and handsome as well, but she'd killed handsome men before. No, if he'd simply been a looker then eliminating him wouldn't be a problem. It would have been easy to smother him or poison his food when he was injured and unaware. But he had to go and wake up and open his masked mouth. Kakashi wasn't just attractive and tolerable, he was considerate, intelligent, and refreshingly compassionate.
Finally Mei said, "kindness can be deceiving. Maybe I'm just using you, desperate to talk to someone."
"You don't seem desperate."
Mei shrugged in answer. He didn't know her at all. "You're easy to talk to," she offered.
Kakashi huffed. "That's not what I've been told."
She raised her eyebrows in question.
"I have a reputation," he said shortly. He thought of his lack of social life back home.
She smirked at this despite herself. "Do you?" The raised arc of her eyebrows implied something entirely different.
His cheeks flushed pink behind his mask. "Not like that, at least I don't think so." He trailed off in worried contemplation.
Mei was surprised at herself when she laughed out loud. "Look at you blush!" She felt her face warm as well. The feelings stirring in her were confusing.
Kakashi may have pouted a little behind his mask. "I'd walk away from this conversation to maintain some form of dignity but I think I'd fall down within a mile."
"You'd better stay then," they locked eyes but then Mei hurried back to her washing. She piled the damp folded sheets into the basket despite her care in folding them earlier. They carried it back, each holding a handle, in silence.
Mei hung the wash on her clothesline while Kakashi went inside to sit down. Even that short of a walk had drained him. How long would he stay? Mei frowned as she pinned the sheets up. Her mind dwelt on the question but she wasn't able to land on any answer that satisfied. Before she knew it, her hand brushed the bottom weaving of her basket; she was done.
Kakashi was tipped back in her chair and asleep when she came in which suited her fine. Mei needed to think, to get her priorities in order.
If she killed Kakashi, and really she should kill him, the villagers would ask where he'd gone. His injuries were an impediment to him but clearly not fatal, especially for a ninja. But even ninja didn't go from passed-out exhausted to taking a cross country trip in one day, so she couldn't say that he'd just left. No, she had to keep caring for him. But if Kakashi realized who she was, he'd blow her cover, not that it wasn't seriously at risk anyway. The townspeople were still wary of her and that didn't make asking about Stone ninja movements easy. It wasn't as simple for her to gather intelligence as Mei's superiors had thought. As everyone kept reminding her, it wasn't safe to travel alone, at least not for a civilian, and so long as she maintained her cover, she may as well be a civilian. The same worries and arguments went around in her head.
Mei gazed at the Leaf ninja. He looked so peaceful. Relaxed in sleep and loose clothing, only the fiery swirl of his ANBU tattoo marked Kakashi as something dangerous. Mei sighed in annoyance. Why was it that whenever she met a kind, considerate man, she was required to kill him? No wonder she was still single. Mei shook those thoughts away. If she worked this right, he didn't have to die. So long as her cover was maintained, he could live. It would, in fact, ruin her cover story if she took the time to collect his bounty but was the tradeoff worth it? It seemed such a waste to kill such a handsome man but then again, the bounty would be handsome too no doubt. She sighed for an entirely different reason.
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The laundry done, Mei got on with the chore that Kakashi had interrupted the day before. Her bustling around the cabin roused him from his nap.
"Anything I can do to help?" He offered, half awake. Kakashi still felt bad for scaring this woman and killing those ninja right in front of her. If he'd kept the fight in the woods then she wouldn't have had to see that.
"Are you sure you're up for it?" Mei asked, a frown creasing her flawless face.
"I should pay you back in some way, for letting me stay." That wasn't an answer but Kakashi rose and followed her out to the garden anyway.
Mei smiled and nodded at the burnt stubs sticking out of orange bumps protruding from the earth. "You can get the carrots. As you said yesterday, they should be fine, being underground." Kakashi got down on his hands and knees to do as she asked.
Meanwhile Mei headed to the mounds for the squash, a sharp knife glinting in her hand. The way she held the knife seemed too practiced; it rested in her palm as if it was second nature. She cut the squash stems from the life-giving vines without hesitation, one after another. Then she rolled each squash into a loose pile near the edge of the garden. Clods of dirt clung to the bottom of one squash and as it rolled to a stop, the positioning of three dirt chunks gave the gourd eyes and a nose like a skull.
Kakashi shook himself, he was projecting his life onto Mei and he really shouldn't. He set to his task, pulling carrot after carrot out of the dirt. The carrots made a satisfying popping sound when he pulled them straight out of the ground. A line of the uprooted orange vegetables slowly formed, paralleling the row in which they'd been planted. Sometimes Kakashi had to use a kunai to loosen the soil before pulling the more stubborn carrots; this made the woman laugh and he smiled sheepishly in response. The irony was not lost on them.
Before Kakashi knew it, he'd added a D rank to his S rank mission and the thought almost made him laugh. Must be the chakra loss, he mused.
The woman stood up to gather the carrots into her basket. Kakashi was quick to rise and help, a little too quick. He swayed and fell back down, head swimming. The woman's face filled his vision, green eyes concerned. Her mouth was moving but he couldn't make out her words. He felt like he was sinking into a hole, his senses falling away one by one, until his vision went black. Consciousness was lost to him.
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Mei contemplated the Leaf ninja's prone form, undecided. The woman sighed. She really should have killed him from the beginning. She could have explained his death away, it would have made things simpler. But looking at his face now, she couldn't think of hurting him. She wanted to pick him up, carry him inside and…what? Nurse him back to health? Fall in love? Have him whisk her away to his home in the Leaf? Mei snorted. She was annoyed by her lack of options, both in life and in love. Here was a perfectly nice man, a fairly competent ninja even, that wasn't terrified of her, and she couldn't even date him.
She'd just close those feelings into a box and toss it onto the ever-growing pile in her mind. How would she deal with all of those boxes someday? Lash out irrationally, probably. Mei frowned, grabbed Kakashi under the arms, and pulled him back inside her cabin. She didn't have her chakra at her command but she could use plain old muscle and leverage to get him back into bed. She propped him up as gently as she could. Now that she knew his ribs were injured she could take better care of him. She pulled the blankets up to better cover him and stopped, staring at them in her hands. What was she doing?
Mei hurried back out to the garden to retrieve her produce and put distance between herself and her houseguest. However, Mei found she couldn't leave Kakashi alone for long. There was something about him that kept drawing her in. She half wondered if it was a jutsu before dismissing the idea. He was clearly out cold. The man was a textbook case of why you didn't push yourself after chakra exhaustion. She'd have to get him to rest for at least a couple of days. Then…what? Mei shoved those thoughts away too but her mind kept returning to him.
Mei idly wondered when she'd decided to let Kakashi live. Had it been when he'd defended her? Offered to help her? Made an intelligent comment about gardening? No, what had really struck her was when he'd expressed plans to bury his enemies. He acknowledged them as people and didn't hold a grudge. She couldn't fathom that level of…it wasn't indifference to his own life, that wasn't quite it.
It was hope, Mei decided. Kakashi carried darkness with him, like every shinobi, but he had hope as well. He knew what he was, but also had a firm grasp on who he was within the scope of his profession. Perhaps Kakashi could hope that he'd come out on the other side of that darkness one day and who he was would be intact. Who Kakashi was as a person would be able to live on when his time as a tool was over. Meanwhile Mei felt like she had to constantly reinvent herself to survive from day to day. She wished she could ask him how he did it.
Author's Notes:
To those of you who have read my other Kakashi/Mei stories, you may be wondering how many times I intend to write a DIFFERENT story about Kakashi and Mei without making a sequel to any of the others. To that I say, in the words of Will Turner, "at least once more Miss Swan."
This story was meant to be a sort of fairy tale. As usual, I've botched it. I hope you enjoy the story anyway.
