Touchstone (redletalis x Kattz)

[redletalis]

Adjusting to peace after everything was... strange. Weird. Impossible. Peace didn't sit with him, not after the Kyuubi attack or the war against Iwagakure. Not after all the people who had been added to the Memorial Stone.


Time had passed and everyone from before was dead and Kakashi wasn't. It wasn't


supposed to happen like that, and he was so furious that he wanted to burn the whole world and go down with it.


But his friends, those people who claimed they were his friends - Pakkun and Gai foremost among them (which was sad that I considered a pug his best friend) - wouldn't let him. And now here he was, trying to find a reason to stay, to live, to start caring again when it all had gone so very wrong last time.


Trying, too, to adjust to peace.


Sometimes Kakashi would start awake in the middle of the night with his heart pounding and breathing harsh, wild-eyed as he scanned the room, unable to recognize where he was. Sometimes even if it was midnight – or one, or two, three, four – he would pull himself out of the cocoon of blankets and lay down on the living room couch, feeling secure with the cushions at his back and a clear view of the room before him.


Or sometimes he would just sit with hands clenched in the sheets, trying to still his panic before anyone could see this tiny, slipping moment of insecurity. Fear. Insanity. He was going insane, slowly and surely.


It was peaceful, and Kakashi didn't know what to do. He wanted to run, sometimes. He looked at himself, in a soft bed with paw print sheets in a room with warm heating and comfortable security and nothing to hide from and wanted to run back into the cold, war, death. He was never supposed to be there like this – but he didn't run. He wouldn't be his father and run away, he would go down magnificently in a mission, saving his team. Or Konoha. Because he wasn't a coward.


He. Wasn't.


Sometimes - when he was training with the pack or even once or twice during those stupid challenges from Gai - he suspected that he was supposed to be happy. He'd been happy once before, a long long time ago, and it wasn't something he was ever supposed to be again, or wanted to be again. It was wrong, it was stagnant, and it made him want to leave so he could be miserable for a little while.


He didn't leave. He went to the Memorial Stone and sat down against it and let the other ANBU patrol the village and the periphery while Kakashi let his mind wander and linger on each name inscribed and let it bring out the face and memories associated with the names that he knew. And then he imagined about those that he didn't know.


Kakashi sat there now, soaked from the cold, never-ending autumn rain. His ANBU mask was in his lap, he didn't have his rain cloak. No one sane was out in this sort of weather unless they absolutely had to, even Pakkun had given in with a whine and had disappeared in a puff of smoke. Smart dog.


What did that say about Kakashi's current state of mind? A person who spent more time with the dead than with the living.


Heh. No wonder the other ANBU were getting a bit twitchy around him. Kakashi was getting more twitchy around himself.


Perhaps he should just end it during the next mission? Perhaps then would he experience this fabled 'peace' people kept talking about?

 

[Kattz]

Michiko never graduated from the ninja academy. It wasn't that she was stupid, far from it in fact. When it came to book smarts she excelled above her peers by several years and her chakra manipulation was on par with the top students in her class. When it came to everything else however, combat especially, she was somewhat mediocre. The sensei even went so far as to say that she would be killed instantly if she went out on the battlefield against only ninken pups.


Chuckling to herself at the memory, Michiko exited the flower shop with a fresh bouquet of one of her friends' favorite flowers in hand. She had never felt resentful about her peers graduating when had flunked, far from it in fact. When it came to running and sweating there was almost nothing she resented more. When it came to learning new subjects and reading books she normally didn't have access to however, Michiko adored school. She had always understood that the academy wasn't a place to have fun but one to train for the seemingly never ending battles that raged on. So when she realized that she was never going to graduate alongside her peers, Michiko did the next best thing and tried to help out wherever and whenever she could.


Aside from learning the secrets and techniques passed down through her family, Michiko ran the bookstore, tracked down the rarest scrolls and books for reading and sale, cared for homes and pets when entire families went out to battle or were otherwise busy, and even prepared meals and occasionally places to stay and shoulders to cry on for those who came back from particularly bad fights.


Michiko tried not to dwell on how that was happening less end less often not because less of her friends needed her but because less of them returned home as the first drops of rain began to fall. She tried not to think about how so many people she had known as children, teenagers, and eventually young adults would never get to experience the rest of life with her. She tried not to remember how many of her friends' bodies had returned home to crying families, some to no one left to mourn them at all but her. As she made her way to the Memorial Stone, Michiko tried not to recall how many of her friends had died somewhere out there and were never able to make it home.


Wrapped in her mournful thoughts, the young woman hadn't even realized that she had nearly arrived at her destination and was getting soaked in the process. Somewhat flustered at her realization, Michiko had accidentally dropped her bouquet when attempting to open the umbrella at her side. When it was appropriately shielding her from the rain, the young shop owner looked down and sighed at her own gracelessness. Yet another reason for flunking the academy. Scooping up the now waterlogged and drooping flowers, she made her way to the Memorial Stone once more.


Noticing that a silver haired stranger was sitting in front of the heart-wrenching object yet again, Michiko thought that he looked like a physical version of her grief manifested in the real world and wondered how many times she had seen him here. Setting her flowers in front of the grave out of respect for the fallen, Michiko stood next the stranger with her umbrella to shield themselves from the weeping sky. A redundant gesture since they were both already pretty wet.

 

[redletalis]

He knew the other person was there long before the person actually came into the clearing and could see him, but Kakashi didn't react. Normal procedure would be to put his mask back on and disappear, or at least pretend that he had just arrived there himself, but right now he couldn't care. So he simply stared at the ground between his legs and wondered just how long it would take for the rain to melt him away into nothingness like that witch from that weird Oz-movie.


Kakashi let some time pass in silence, listening to the other's movements more out of instinct than any curiosity, and then finally spoke up. "Hey, you. Go home before you get sick."


His voice was scratchy and hoarse. He might be coming down with something. Had to be careful. If he got pulled off the active rooster now he would go stir crazy sitting on his hands in a peaceful village. It wasn't for him, never would be really.

 

[Kattz]

The air felt thick with grief from the two soaked individuals in front of the Memorial Stone. "You're one to talk. You sound pretty sick yourself." Moments passed by as Michiko stood uselessly with her umbrella, still shielding them both from the rain and thought silently to herself before eventually opening her mouth again. She closed it again when she realized the stupidity of the question she was about to ask the stranger who was clearly a ninja.


More time passed before Michiko shook her head to clear the dark thoughts away, they certainly weren't helping anything. She took a deep breath before stepping forward to lay her hand on the stone with her forehead following soon after. Letting out the air she held in her lungs through her nose, she closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer to all her friends and family whose names were written on the structure in front of her. Michiko wondered to herself how long ago the time was when she had stopped crying for those who never came home. No matter how hard she grieved for each name before her, the tears wouldn't come.


Unsure of how much time had passed, Michiko did her best to quell her inner turmoil as she walked backwards from the Memorial Stone. As she always did whenever one of her visits was coming to an end, Michiko let loose the biggest smile she could muster. Her brother always told her that the living should do their best to live in prosperity and happiness everyday so that the dead did not feel as though they died in vain. When she felt as though she couldn't keep it up with any sincerity any longer, she turned to stand in front of the silver haired man next to her.


Reaching out a hand she asked while smiling as gently as she could, "How about we get something warm before you get sick?" The man reminded her of friends who said that they had watched their comrades die on the battlefield. Sad and lost.

 

[redletalis]

"I don't have any warmth." Kakashi replied almost jovially. It was fake cheer though, and he didn't have any warmth either - whether food or his apartment. There was no warmth anywhere. He felt it to the marrow of his bones. The very cold marrow of his bones. Hoh, he really was coming down with something serious if he could feel it in his bones.


Ah, well, he would either live or he would die. Whatever. Story of his life.


"Go home before you get sick." He said again. Soon the ANBU on patrol would come by the Memorial Stone again and they would force him into going home and staying in bed - or to the hospital - and Kakashi would fight them all the way there. There was no need for a Chuunin to get caught in that fray.


The scenery was tilting sideways. What a weird genjutsu this w- oh, it wasn't the scenery. It was Kakashi. What was he doing on the ground? He had been just fine a second ago!


He was getting up.


Any moment now.


Yeah.


Up.


Or something.


Whatever.

 

[Kattz]

"I don't have any warmth." The man said with an obvious fake cheer in his tone.


Michiko had only meant to get some tea or soup or something but he seemed to take her words to a bitter extreme. Yet again he reminded her of one of her grieving friends in need. The ones that cried over the names on the Memorial Stone only to end up right beside them. Just as she was about to invite him over to her place, he was chastising her of all people and telling her to go home. Before she could come up with an indignant reply the man started to sway. "H-hey...!"


Grabbing him before he hit his head on the ground, called out to the stranger to no avail. Her umbrella had dropped out of her hand and now the rain was drenching the two of them as she kneeled next to the unconscious man. This close to him, Michiko could tell that he had a fever as he panted out labored breaths. "But really, what kind of weirdo tells others to leave before they get sick while getting sick himself?!"


Frantically looking around for someone to call for help, she realized that she would have to carry him herself as no one else was around this early in the morning. Though not a ninja herself, she was still a part of a clan so she was expected to keep up with basic training so as to stay fit but lifting weights and carrying an adult male taller and heavier than herself were two different things. She couldn't just take him to the hospital, too far. Michiko sighed to herself as she realized that she would probably be late in opening up her bookstore. Lifting with her legs and hoisting him on her back as best as she could, Michiko began the trek to her home.

 

[redletalis]

As he was picked up and situated on her back Kakashi was silent for a few moments, weighing the pros and cons of going somewhere with a stranger even if the stranger was a mere civilian, and then perhaps even accepting food from said civilian stranger. It was a bad, bad idea and his ANBU-instincts were ringing warning bells in his head and giving him a headache.


Perhaps that was why he decided to take her up on the offer. Or he wanted something, someone to help keep him in the world of the living and was desperate enough to go for a stranger.


Or he was just insane and should visit Morino Ibiki and give up all semblance of normalcy.


"Home-made dinner on the first date? My, how very forward." He huffed weakly against her throat. At least he could literally rip her throat out with his teeth if the need arose because he didn't think he would be able to move any other limbs or call on chakra as he was. It was a new experience really, usually he would have been sedated already and be able to sleep the worst of the sickness off in the ANBU barracks.

 

[Kattz]

Michiko struggled to open her front door without dropping the stranger all the while reminding herself of yet another reason she would not have made it as a kunoichi. What girl would carry a man she didn't know into her home during wartime? She knew that he was clearly a shinobi that served her village, but she also knew that that didn't really describe his personality or change the fact that he could probably kill her in 100 different ways despite being as weak as he was.


Huffing and puffing through the entryway before closing it with her foot, the young woman managed to drag him to her bedroom by the time she heard a, "Home-made dinner on the first date? My, how very forward." He was really burning up. Michiko wondered if he even realized where in her home he was. She had a feeling that his comment would have probably been more suggestive than the one he just made otherwise. With a sudden wave of irritation, she unceremoniously dropped him on her bed, rain soaked clothes and all. "Were you awake this whole time?" She huffed in both annoyance and tired breathlessness. "You could have helped me out at least a little bit you know!" Exhausted from the trek home with dead weight on her shoulders she collapsed to her knees on her bedroom floor to catch her breath.


Eventually Michiko let out a long groan of exhaustion before finally managing to get to her feet. "I'm going to go get some stuff so just lay there for a minute." She wobbled out the door to look for a wet cloth for his fever and to start on making the soup.

 

[redletalis]

"The economy of movement is vastly overrated?" Kakashi mumbled and tried to shift about on whatever the soft surface was - bed? Probably. He barely managed to twitch enough to bring his arm out from underneath himself. But it was enough for what he had planned at least, and a few shaky hand-seals and a puff of smoke later, and a brown pug was sitting next to him on the bed.


"Oi, boss, we're inside!" the pug looked around. "This doesn't smell like home, though."


"It isn't." Kakashi replied.


Pakkun stared at him. "Whoa, boss, you've gotten really sick if you've come to a stranger's place. Quick! We've gotta get you to the hospital!" and with that he grabbed Kakashi's sleeve with his teeth and jumped off the bed, pulling Kakashi along into a collision course with the floor. It was a very painful meeting, and Kakashi's nose wasn't going to thank him for it later on.


Kakashi promptly stayed where he was, and gave Pakkun a one-eyed glare.


"No time to lay about, boss! We've gotta get you to a hospital! Come on! Mush!" Pakkun wasn't having much luck dragging Kakashi across the floor.

 

[Kattz]

Towel to dry her rain soaked hair?


Check.


It was now situated around her shoulders and catching any droplets of water left traveling down her neck.


Soup for the stranger?


Check.


Well sort of. The pot was boiling the necessary ingredients on the stove.


Cloth and towel for the stranger?


Check.


Michiko had gotten them along with her towel when she had left the room and was now holding them both under her arm as she filled a bowl with cool water. That's when she heard the thump.


Michiko had jumped a little at the sound, effectively spilling some water on herself as she was placing (more like dropping at that point) the cloth in the water bowl. Wondering what could have happened in the few minutes that she had been gone, Michiko hurried as quickly as she could with the bowl of water in her hands and towel under her arm. She was met with a surprise when she walked into her bedroom. A ninja dog of all things was attempting to drag his master(?), she assumed, across the floor.


"No time to lay about, boss! We've gotta get you to a hospital! Come on! Mush!"


"Ah, I see what's happening." Michiko thought to herself with a small smile as she went to place the bowl and towel on the bedside table before addressing the situation before her. "Excuse me Mr. Dog." She said, politely calling for his attention with the friendliest face she could muster while kneeling on the floor. "It seems that you are having about as much trouble as I was with lifting him. Might I suggest that we attempt to get his fever down first before calling for someone who will be of my help?"

 

[redletalis]

"Fever?! The boss has a fever?!" Pakkun seemed more annoyed than horrified and continued to mumble mutinously about stupid humans who refused to take care of themselves. Honestly, he was a dog and even he knew better! He huffed and puffed for a few minutes before letting it go and turning back to the civilian woman.


"You should just take 'im to the hospital. The boss could accidentally kill you if he starts hallucinating, it's happened before. They'll sedate him at the hospital so you won't have to worry about anything. There's no need to put yourself out for an idiot like him." The pug said and yelped when his backside was flickered, jumping and snarling at the offender.


Kakashi just focused on breathing, his arm falling back to the floor. It had been damn difficult to do such a simple action, he didn't have it in him to care about an insulted pug. "Jus' take me to the hospital." He rasped. Because Pakkun was right. Kakashi could kill this young woman accidentally and without even trying.


Pakkun huffed and shuffled over to nudge Kakashi's nose with his own. Kakashi didn't react and the wrinkles of Pakkun's face rearranged themselves into a very worried look. "Over-working himself again, stupid pup. It's not war anymore, he should get used to that!"


The pug licked the skin that wasn't hidden by the mask, and Kakashi huffed in recognition of the action. He was present enough to still recognise friend from foe, to know what was going on, and that was a good thing. "Better hurry to get the boss to the hospital. He's still holding on, but soon he'll get into hallucinating and then you won't be able to approach him." Pakkun said to her.

 

[Kattz]

"Over-working himself again, stupid pup. It's not war anymore, he should get used to that!"


"Even though the war is recently over, it still lives on in us. We can't just forget the tragedies so soon after." She murmured to no one in particular, momentarily forgetting the gravity of the situation.


"Better hurry to get the boss to the hospital. He's still holding on, but soon he'll get into hallucinating and then you won't be able to approach him." At the dog's words, Michiko snapped out of her stupor.


"R-right! Um..." How were they to carry this man all the way to the hospital when she barely managed to make it to her home? Her plan was originally to treat him until his fever had gone down somewhat then, depending on his strength, either call for aid or help him walk to the hospital. Now knowing that the threat of death possibly loomed over anyone who helped the unsedated ninja who most likely suffered from the effects of PTSD, she couldn't ask just anyone to help carry him. Michiko suddenly got an idea. "I'll be right back!" She exclaimed before running out of the bedroom.


"Wah!" Michiko skidded to a stop in her kitchen to turn off the stove once she saw the water boiling over after she completely forgot about the pot's existence. Once that issue was taken care of, she was dashing off again to wear she had her book cart stored. Sometimes either her shop of family would get books that were either too big or too numerous to carry. Fortunately she had it here in her home and not at her store. It wasn't the most elegant way to transport a sick person, but due to the gravity of the situation it would have to do. Rolling it back to her room as quickly as she could with it just barely fitting in the hallway, she called out to the dog. "Help me put him in this!"

 

[redletalis]

Pakkun stopped trying to pull Kakashi along, and then just stared at the trolley. Kakashi managed to gather his strength just long enough to look up and see the trolley, and then he groaned and weakly tried to get back to his feet. Because there was no way that he was going to ever allow himself to be seen being transported around like that.


"Boss, stop that! You won't make it!" Pakkun bit a hold of his sleeve and pulled his arm out from under him.


Kakashi grunted as he fell back to the ground. "With nin-dogs like these who needs enemies." He glared at Pakkun.


"This epic nin-dog is gonna make sure you survive, so just stay right there. Idiot." Pakkun snorted to emphasise his point, and then turned to the civilian woman. It wasn't ideal to let a stranger see this, but this was an emergency. "Alright, you, woman, stand back. We're gonna need more help for this one, I'm callin' the entire pack here."


As soon as she had moved back far enough, Pakkun put his paws on Kakashi's lax hand, muttered something and one large poof of smoke later another seven dogs of all shapes and sizes were stuffed tightly together in the small apartment. Bull had ended up behind the civilian woman, and he nudged her with his nose and barked at her to get out of the way.

 

[Kattz]

<p>"O-oh. Pardon me." She said in response to the dog barking at her to move out of the way. Michiko squeezed through what little space was left in the hallway in order to open the front door. That should help to ease the transition process. She afterwards stood at the side to avoid getting in any of the dogs' way, ready to push or pull the cart to the hospital. She wondered to herself if the dogs would need help in lifting the stranger into the car, but she had seen ninja animals complete much harder feats.</p>

 

[redletalis]

"This is why you should have a contact." Pakkun grumbled in human, and then started to bark and order the other seven dogs around. They twisted and turned, pushed and pulled and in the end they somehow managed to get Kakashi onto Bull's back. Some of them stood on their hind legs and tried to push the human better into position to make sure that he wasn't going to fall off.


Pakkun turned to the civilian human. "Hey, you, help us pull a little bit more to the left. You wouldn't happen to have any rope around would you? We can tie him on just to make sure he doesn't fall off."


"No bondage on the first date." Kakashi mumbled into Bull's neck. He couldn't keep his eyes open anymore, he couldn't even smell the familiar scent of his dogs, and he couldn't really keep his balance on Bull's back no matter how much he wanted to. Rope would be embarrassing, but better than being literally carted about.


The pug - and half the other dogs - snorted. "You don't get a vote, boss, you're halfway dead already."

 

[Kattz]

"Hey, you, help us pull a little bit more to the left." As she did what the little dog ordered, before she heard him say, "You wouldn't happen to have any rope around would you? We can tie him on just to make sure he doesn't fall off."


"Rope? Er, right! Okay!" Michiko dashed off to find something to tie the man down with. Rope. Did she even own rope? Well they just needed something to tie him down with right? So some kind of substitute should be okay right? Michiko threw open the door to her linen closet and grabbed one of the light blankets she used for summer. Running back she used it to tie the stranger to the dog.


"No bondage on the first date." He said to her when she had gotten particularly close while tying a knot. Michiko blushed in response. She was about to say something when she realized that his eyes were closed. "That's just his fever talking." She mentally chastised herself.


The pug - and half the other dogs - snorted. "You don't get a vote, boss, you're halfway dead already." And with that, her face's temperature was back to normal. There were more important things to worry about that sick, flirtatious men. Namely managing to get a particularly sick and flirtatious man to the hospital.


"Okay. Are we ready?" Michiko asked the ninken before her, ready to follow them out the door and to the hospital.

 

[redletalis]

The dogs grumbled and huffed and puffed and barked and whined as they slowly transported Kakashi to the hospital. Kakashi wasn't a little pup anymore and his position on Bull's back was awkward even if Bull was the biggest of the dogs. Because of that and despite the ropes they couldn't take to the rooftops or even run to get him to the hospital faster. Occasionally they had to stop in order to adjust Kakashi back into position, or have the civilian woman do it for them.


It was a strange procession through the streets of Konoha, but luckily the rain kept most people and even most shinobi inside. The shinobi that saw them only stopped long enough to make sure that Kakashi wasn't dead and Michiko wasn't trying to kidnap him, before they moved on to wherever they were going or whatever they were doing.


When they reached the hospital and entered the foyer, the nurses and doctors on shift only took one look at the pack and the practically unconscious Kakashi, and sighed. This was obviously a familiar sight to them, and there weren't even any orders barked out. Everyone already knew what to do, and two people went to get a proper gurney while a medic-nin approached the pack and Michiko.


"You Hatake's girlfriend?" the medic-nin grunted as he started to untie Kakashi.

 

[Kattz]

"Wha-what?" Michiko responded in surprise at the medical ninja. She put her hands up and waved them a bit in denial. "N-no, I was just talking to him earlier and he sort of just collapsed. That's when I noticed his fever and tried to help."


Michiko furrowed her brow in an expression of concerned worry. "Is there anything else I can do to help or any family of his that I can notify? I feel awkward just leaving him her without letting his loved ones know his current condition."


He was an off duty shinobi, or maybe on village guard duty but at least not on a mission outside. That meant that his loved ones should want to know where he was right?

 

[redletalis]

"Ain't got any family left except us dogs, and last lover tried to kill him." Pakkun huffed and shuffled over to nudge Kakashi's nose with his own. Kakashi didn't react and the wrinkles of Pakkun's face rearranged themselves into a very worried look. A small wave of whines went through the pack, a couple of the younger ones coming closer to nudge Kakashi's hand or leg.


Kakashi didn't react much other than a weak groan.


"Well, that's just great. You always bring trouble, Hatake." The medic-nin grumbled and finished untying the knots. With the help of a couple of others they managed to lift Kakashi up onto the gurney, and then watched as he was wheeled away. The pack stayed until they couldn't see Kakashi anymore, and then they dismissed themselves.


Pakkun was the last to go, and he turned to Michiko. "Hey, you, thanks for the help with the boss," he said and then disappeared in a puff of smoke as well.


The medic-nin turned to Michiko. "And now for your check-up."

 

[Kattz]

Michiko stared in confusion as to what was to happen next while she watched the ninken each disappear in plumes of smoke. "W-wait." She called out to no avail.


"And now for your check-up." She heard the medical ninja say behind her. Michiko turned around in surprise.


"Check-up? But why?" She tilted her head to the side. Last she checked, she had all of her shots and she hadn't left the village in a long while so she couldn't have contracted some disease from travel. Maybe a contagious bug was going around and that's what caused the silver haired guy to collapse as he did?

 

[redletalis]

The medic-nin grunted in annoyance and grabbed her arm, pulling her to one of the free examination rooms before pushing her inside and ordering her to sit on the bed. He walked around her, poked and prodded her, and then had her take off literally all her clothes as he did a thorough check of her skin. He used both his eyes and a jutsu as he did this.


"That guy out there isn't your average ninja," he said as he worked. "You never know with people like that, something's wrong in their heads after all these years of living in death and destruction. He could have poisoned you without realising it, sheer instincts making him do it now that he was so incredibly out of it. Seriously, what is it about high-ranking ninja and not coming to get help when they obviously need it, huh?"


He grumbled some more as he worked, and then sighed and sat back. "You can put your clothes back on," he said and ran a hand down his face. "If the guy did anything to you then I can't find it so here's what you're going to do. You're going to go home and you're going to rest up and take it easy for the next couple of days. If you feel poorly or start getting headaches or anything out of the normal, then you come running back here. Is that understood?"

 

[Kattz]

Michiko took her time in deciding her response as she dressed herself, she didn't like the medical ninja's additude or how he talked about the stranger. When she finished with her blouse she turned to the man and bowed. "Thank you very much for the check up. I will come back for more of your aid if I do feel off, however," Michiko raised her head with somewhat of an admonishing look in her eyes despite the friendly smile on her face. "I don't appreciate you telling me what to do with my life. You, as a medic-nin, do indeed have a say on what I should do if my physical health is compromised but as you said earlier, I'm fine. You therefore have no right to tell me what to do."


Michiko began to walk out of the room, but before she exited, she turned around at the entryway for one final word. "Now, I am going to leave, gather some things, and come back to check on the shinobi. If you are so worried about my health, you are welcome to monitor me as I will be within the hospital." With that, she almost haughtily turned back and continued her journey out of the hospital. Really though, the nerve of that man!


Michiko began thinking through the list of things that one should bring when visiting the unwell at the hospital. It was almost sad to say that she had gotten used to it from the amount of friends that ended up there after a mission. She was thankful for those times however. Due to those experiences, she knew what to get the shinobi when she returned to check on him. Besides, a friend being placed in the hospital after a mission was much preferable to them being buried in the ground or not returning at all.

 

[redletalis]

The medic-nin watched Michiko leave the examination room, and rolled his eyes at her attitude. Honestly, he had been doing her a favour in examining her without a previous appointment or demanding a fee for it, and she gave him attitude back. Well, whatever, if she wanted to die from sheer stupidity then it was no skin off of his back. Would remove her genes from the DNA-pool at any rate, he grumbled to himself as he went back to his job and rounds.


Perhaps the illness wasn't as bad as they had feared, or perhaps they had gotten him to the hospital and the doctors in time. Whatever it was, Kakashi spent an entire night knocked out and without any nightmares that made any effects on him visible to the outside world, and when he did wake up it was in the usual way: one moment he was asleep and then he was suddenly awake, his eyes snapping open, only for his left eye to shut again when the Sharingan started pulling on his chakra reserves.


At least he knew where he was thanks to that. This was the same damn hospital room that he always got, he had left a few seals in place and hidden from everyone's eyes unless they had a Sharingan themselves.


"Huh." He blinked at the window and the light outside. Just how long had he been out of it anyway?

 

[Kattz]

Michiko was cutting an apple into slices by the silver haired shinobi's bed side when she heard a sound. "Huh." It started her into a jump, causing her to slice her thumb with the knife.


"Ow." She involuntarily whispered before shoving the digit into her mouth to stop the blood flow. Setting the apple slices and knife on the table, she pulled out her thumb to inspect her work. The cut wasn't too large. Turning to the man with a smile on her face. Michiko began to speak. "Morning, sleepyhead. How are you feeling? I cut up some apple for you." She turned her head to stare sightlessly at the ceiling as she ended up becoming lost in her own thoughts while wondering aloud. "I've always been a bit confused about why people peel apples when they give them to people in the hospital. Do they not know about the nutritional value of the skin? Maybe a lot of their friends don't like the skin?"


At the last question the woman looked back down at the man lying in the hospital bed almost as if asking for his input to the redundant rhetorical question.

 

[redletalis]

"You stayed." It was more of a question than a statement. What a weird, naive civilian woman. First she insisted on approaching an ANBU, helping said ANBU, feeding said ANBU and then she stayed with said ANBU when she didn't have to. She was putting herself in a lie that could easily lead to her getting into serious trouble that she couldn't handle. Enemies loved going after a shinobi's family or significant others and they didn't care if it was a lie or not.


"I..." Kakashi stopped up and blinked and then tried to answer once more. "Perhaps the skin of the apple is a bit too tough for weak people to bite through? At least they can suck the peeled boats for some taste and liquid?"


Kakashi hummed before reaching out for the medical chart that was placed on the table next to the bed. The doctors knew that ANBU needed to know their own conditions and what had been done to them, so they always left the clipboard on the bedside table rather than at the end of the bed. Kakashi read through the information quickly before leafing backwards until he reached a form that no one had written on. He pulled it out and, using the clipboard as a small table, he started folding and refolding it until he had a paper flower in his hand.


He held it out to Michiko, balancing it on his fingertip. "A small thanks for all you have done."