In which Haruhi has a rough day.
The rest of the trip was strangely quiet between the two of them.
A cold spell had descended upon her and Kakashi and maybe it was just her imagination but he seemed happy to have an excuse not to carry her. In a way that wasn't obvious he studiously avoided her gaze while keeping up the conversation.
"Anyway Haku, when you get to Konoha you'll have to meet the old man first but afterwards I can take you to get some ramen!"
"I know something for your injuries Haku! And Konoha has the best hospital in all the nations. I read it!"
"Hn."
She could tell Haku was getting excited despite his best efforts. The trees were taller and thicker, and the buttercups were yellow now. It was when they crossed over a stream on a flat wooden bridge she realized they were close.
Close to Konoha.
She swallowed the frog that had lept in her throat. They walked for a few more hours, Haruhi pitching in on the conversation once or twice, but other than that she was uncharacteristically silent. When the gates came into view Naruto whooped and would have ran ahead if Kakashi hadn't called out.
"We need to report directly to the Hokage as the parameters of the mission have changed. Each one of you need to be there to offer up your view."
The four of them nodded. Kakashi refused to let Haku carried the sword, as he was still injured and having an unknown carrying a weapon up to the gates was unsettling.
Haruhi knew the mission report came before her being sent back. She didn't mind as a lot of important stuff did happen. But she was busy thinking what she would do when she got home. Would she have been missing for over a month? What about her cat and friends? Had her mother cried a lot? Haruhi had been gone for a long time.
...What would the genin say when they realized she was gone?
Well, she wouldn't know.
The chunin at the gates gasped and scrambled up when they saw team seven and after a few words from Kakashi they let them through, their eyes following them as long as they could.
Whispers followed them to the tower, Naruto waving and grinning at the attention that wasn't necessarily negative. People pointed and started at the burns on Haku's face and she felt a rush of anger on his behalf. She hoped Kakashi and the others would stand up for him. Maybe let Haku borrow a mask.
Kakashi leading the way and the team behind him, she watched his back, walking farther and farther away. Desk chunin muttered and watched them, but were smart enough to not get in Kakashi's way. They were rushed into the room. The Hokage had put down his pipe and Haruhi made herself comfy in Sakura's bag as he laced his fingers, a serious expression befalling his face.
Kakashi opened with a basic explanation of what happened, the changing of the mission rank and bigger threats. When he got to the part with Zabuza and Haku his eyes darted to Haku, before focusing on Kakashi.
Kakashi airbrushed the battle to exclude Haruhi, as the desk Chunin were still listening with open mouthed rapt attention. Team seven jumped in with their own comments and stories and when they finally got to the end of the second battle Naruto couldn't contain himself.
"I WILL VOUCH FOR HAKU! HE DIDN'T ACTUALLY HURT ANYONE!" Naruto bellowed. Birds took off.
A tinkling laughter filled the room.
"Thank you, Naruto. But I can speak for myself." Haku smiled, and despite his burns it was still charming.
"I would love to hear it. However, all ninja except Kakashi and Haku needs to leave."
To her surprise, Kakashi swiped her from Sakura's bag while she passed. A moment of confusion spent in darkness before she was in Kakashi's pocket again. Her heart hammered as she poked her head up. Haku's fate was about to be decided.
As he told his story she had again, to fight back tears. She thought she might have heard Kakashi sniffle once or twice, but she couldn't be sure.
"So you see, Lord third, the ninja way is very hard for me, but I know it's the best for protecting those precious to me. My wish is to be a real ninja, as I was not affiliated with any village before-despite my training."
Haku laid the giant sword on the floor, from which he had just taken from Kakashi.
"I offer my services, this sword and locations to Gato's empire in exchange for sanctuary, and, a chance."
He knelt and bowed his head.
The third puffed his pipe, eyes on Haku. His expression softened.
"Haku. Normally, ninja in your position would not have been accepted in the village. But with your story, offers, and vouches from your friends, you may be allowed to stay. You will have an evaluation and will be ranked accordingly."
Haku nodded, getting up.
"And if I'm not mistaken, there's something else you need to talk to be about Kakashi?"
Taking the initiative, Haruhi jumped onto Kakashi's shoulder. Haku opened the door and the three genin tumbled out in a pile, kicking and shoving.
"Old man, Haku can stay!" Naruto shouted with glee. Sakura squealed and Sasuke said nothing but smirked. Haku walked into the hallway and called for them to follow.
"Bye." Haruhi called with a note of sad finality.
The kids had grown on her-especially Sakura. But Haruhi had already overstayed her welcome. While the thought of going back home after two months and trying to explain what had happened to her was unappealing, staying in this world with child soldiers was even more so. Haruhi lifted her hand and waved goodbye.
"Bye? Wha-Haruhi-sensei!?" But the door closed in their faces. A reinforced one that they couldn't get through.
"Haruhi, I trust Kakashi has been treating you well?" He asked kindly. She restrained herself from twisting her hair-a nervous habit.
"Yes he has."
"But that isn't what you came here for." She nodded.
"Lord Third, Konoha has been nothing but kind to me and I enjoyed my stay here. But...I don't want to impede or anything. I would very much like to head home now."
He folded his hands, a troubled look on his face.
Haruhi's heart beat rapidly, and she knelt on Kakashi's palm. She wiped her hands on her pants and flipped her hair over her shoulder.
"Haruhi, I understand you are out of your element here, and I commend you on your adjustment. But this seal is like nothing Jiraiya has ever seen before- we don't know the risks of unsummoning you. Jiraiya himself is currently out of Konoha at the moment and I don't want to risk anything without a seal master present."
Akatsuki.
Haruhi nodded, unable to get around the lump that had lodged itself in her throat. Suddenly she wasn't shaking anymore-all the energy had been sucked out with those few words.
Kakashi turned to leave but Haruhi didn't notice, too much in a stupor. Blood roared in her ears as she knelt statue still. Was she stranded?
Was she stranded?
She vaguely registered shouting. Naruto was waving his finger at her with a twisted expression on his face. They had somehow moved from the office to an empty side hallway without her knowing it. She tilted her head down at him. He was panting heavily and his arms were crossed and he seemed to be blinking back tears.
"Naruto, what's wrong?" She said worriedly.
"..."
A dead silence as everyone stared at her. Just stared in judgmental disbelief. Naruto was actually stunned into silence. She was so confused, everything was moving so sluggishly, like her brain had turned to jello. Then, in a voice way too small and insecure to be Naruto's, he spoke.
"Haruhi-sensei, you were gonna leave us. Like...just go. After everything like-like we were nothing." He whispered. Not shouting at all.
His eyes were big and doleful. He seemed to be incredibly shaken up by this. To have finally found a group of people who accepted him for him, to have one of them leave so suddenly with only a goodbye would do that. He probably felt powerless, helpless again, like he was watching Sakura and Haku die all over again.
Her heart stuttered and she felt sick. She never meant to hurt anyone. That was why she wanted to go back. He wiped his face angrily, tears smearing. Sakura sniffled in the background.
"How could you?"
He said it so lowly, with so much hurt and anger, accusation, emotions Haruhi had been doing her best to repress bubbled like a boiling pot to the surface. She sniffed. Once, then twice. Kakashi's finger twitched.
"I never meant to hurt you guys. I'm sorry, but-"
"Well what did you think leaving was going to do!?" Naruto demanded. His nose was turning red and pink rimmed his eyes.
"I..." Her voice cracked and Naruto recoiled. "I just wanted to go home."
"..."
"But Konoha-"
"Is not my home." She snapped. Her voice echoed.
"Did you ever take into consideration my feelings? How I felt? The utter helplessness I felt? The vulnerability I felt? I literally didn't fit in. A strange new place filled with people I've never met before. I felt like a fish out of water, weak, useless-"
"That's not true-"
"Feelings don't care about facts, Naruto!" She shouted. It echoed off the walls.
"..."
"I'm sorry, okay!?" And to her horror, her throat clamped shut, cutting her off and terrible, guttural sobs sprung from her throat.
She buried her face into her hands, desperately trying to muffle the heart wrenching sobs that escaped her. Her shoulders heaved and her hands shook with the effort.
The hall was silent except for her sniffles.
Kakashi murmured something to the four, before lowering her into his pocket. She curled into the familiar fabric, still desperately trying to quiet herself. She felt them move and Kakashi talking to a few more people. Her face stung in that numb tingly way and the front of her shirt was wet.
Her vision was blurry from the tears, so she wiped her face and lifted her shirt up over the bridge of her nose. They were almost at Kakashi's house. He opened the door and she almost recoiled at the sterile scent that hit her sensitive nose. It was like the personality and warmth had cleared out with them.
He walked and placed a giant brown paper bag on the counter. He lifted her out of his pocket and placed her on the counter a little to the left of the fruit bowl. She kneeled again, hair falling around her head as a sort of curtain, and shirt pulled up.
Kakashi said nothing, only getting started on dinner. When the familiar smell of stir-fry reached her nose, filling the air with that familiar warmth she almost smiled in spite of herself. She gave one last hiccough and blew her nose in a napkin, and now that her nose was clear, she could smell that familiar scent wafting through the air.
Kakashi said nothing as he slid a saucer in front of her and then dug in himself. She politely turned her back, munching on a pepper. The tangy crunchiness cheered her up a lot more than it should have. She loved stir-fry, But there was still something on her chest...
"Kakashi?"
"Hm?"
"You didn't um, ya know, feel the same was as they did..."
The chewing stopped. He seemed to consider his answer before responding.
"It's like I said, Haruhi...I wouldn't mind if you stayed. In fact, I'd be pretty happy."
"B-because I never meant to hurt anyone, you see, um, I just wanted to go back. S-so maybe I need to apologize to them. And you. Sorry. It was nothing you guys did."
"There's no need for that. It's perfectly understandable. But I don't think you realize the impact you have on this team. In almost no time, you have become the emotional backbone of squad seven. Of course they'd be upset knowing you would leave."
"But what about you?"
"...I'd be pretty upset too. But don't let that stop you." He said quickly. He then eye-smiled.
"While we wait for his return, I picked up something that just might make this a little more manageable for you..." He reached into the brown paper bag and pulled out tiny wooden stairs. Fold-able and easily put up.
"Oh, Kakashi!..." This was great! It gave her mobility! Independence...
"Maa, I thought that would make you feel better." It seemed their cold-spell was over.
Perhaps a bit impulsively, Haruhi jumped up and climbed his arms, much to his surprise.
"Haruhi wha-?"
She threw her arms around his face, laughing, and then kissed his cheek, right above the mask.
He froze, his confused speech stopping like it had hit a brick wall.
She jumped back down to the counter, landing heavily on her knees. When she looked back up, his one eye was still open in shock, a rosy dust had settled on his cheek. His hand rose to cup it and she cheekily bit into her pepper, pleased with herself.
She finished up, then went down the stairs to the floor with ease. She went to the guest bathroom and up to the sink-with ease.
She never thought she would miss the feeling of walking up and down stairs but here she was. The ability to finally do something for herself without having to ask for help was liberating. She felt like an adult again.
Saying good night to Kakashi, she headed towards her bookshelf.
Books had always been a huge part of her life, ever since she started reading at four. She always sat in the back of class with a book, or with one hidden in her textbook. She would spend hours at the library and use all her birthday and allowance to buy some. In fact, reading was the very thing she was doing when she was summoned here. To her, this bookshelf was more than just a place to sleep. It was the closest thing to home she had here.
She saw that Kakashi had sneakily applied another staircase and wedged it in between a couple books.
She settled on her bed, and while the doll was no Patches, it did the job well enough. She turned on her side of the bed, the one away from the opening and closed her eyes.
She sensed a disturbance in the force.
The air had changed around her as if another presence was warming it. It might just be Kakashi checking up on her again...
She cracked open a eyelid, and then bit her arm to keep from gasping. A hand like a giant spider was creeping towards her. Something metallic glinted in the darkness and it wasn't a kunai. The arm(which was not Kakashi's) seemed to be searching for something.
Her.
Its fingers felt along the wooden shelf like antenna, pads running perversely across her furniture and on her clothes.
It was getting closer.
Ba-bump-Ba-bump-Ba-bump-
She desperately lowered her breathing, and rolled over the side of the bed silently to the shelf, leaving the doll on the bed. She crawled to the other side inside a scroll and trembled.
Peeking out she saw the pinkie finger inches away from her. It wasn't Kakashi's. No way. She knew his hands.
It patted silently, still searching. The fingertips came to her bed and paused, hovering right over where she just was not a minute ago. In a vice like grip it wrapped around the doll, lifting it up and out of sight. Vanishing into the night.
She didn't know how long she sat there trembling, but when she came to her senses, she jumped up and ran.
Past the couch into the hallway, beyond the bathroom and knocked on Kakashi's door.
He opened it and she normally would have squealed at his bed head, if she hadn't been almost kidnapped. She nearly cried in relief.
"Kakashi, somebody was here, in here-"
He scooped her up against his chest and darted into the living room-where the stairs in the side of the bookcase laid cracked and bent. She trembled and he rubbed her back with his thumb.
He was pissed.
He summoned Pakkun to do a check and secured the rest of the house. The man was long gone and she wished she could have made out more of him in the darkness. Because he had just destroyed something that gave her security, made her feel better.
He had violated something she had considered her second home, destroying whatever sense of safety she had left. Some part of her had always thought Kakashi's home was untouchable. Thanks to this guy, that idea was dashed.
"Kakashi, what now?" She whispered.
Kakashi rubbed his chin.
"Hm, well, there's simply no other way." he nodded in finality.
"Kakashi..."
He looked at her thoughtfully.
"Haruhi, from now on, you're sleeping with me."
End chapter!
As you could tell I have decided to continue this.
I was happily surprised by the number of people who had responded with comments to continue, and as you can see, I was inspired by it. I could tell they came from the heart.
And since I am continuing this, I will explain what type of story it's going to be.
It's not going to be OC embarks on a quest to change the plot and save everyone. As you can tell, she's doing her best to keep her nose clean. This fic will focus on team seven and the impact she had on them, and her dealing with her own struggle in a world that is literally not made for her. Not to mention her budding relationship with Kakashi and how they will develop romantically.
This story is unconventional at it's roots, and will continue to be so.
Haruhi will be a maternal figure to the young of team seven and will give advice and won't take B.S. But she will be dealing with insecurity, stress, her feelings towards Kakashi, and homesickness. Those won't just go away. There will be consequences to her stay.
This fic will end around when the original Naruto ends.
Ending question: What do you think of Haruhi x Kakashi so far? Why do you like or why don't you? What makes it work for you? What was your favorite moment?
Until next time!