Note: domestic/verbal abuse in this chapter

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Chiisai pulled her blanket around her, fighting the nausea leftover from the flicker technique Kakashi had used. There was no way in hell she was going to barf up such a delicious meal.

Poor Pakkun though, at the table by himself. Where did he poof to when Kakashi didn't need him? Even worse, Tori wasn't with her, and she had never left him in public before.

"You left my child," she said.

"What are you talking about?" Kakashi asked. He had stopped his pacing, and impatience shown in his eye.

She flung the blanket down and said, "Tori! You left my baby with Pakkun."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "He'll bring him back, don't worry. Besides," he continued, crossing his arms, "your cat is smarter than he looks."

"You still haven't told me what's wrong," she said. She rubbed her stomach, a poor attempt at calming her nausea.

He replied, "Danzo overheard us this morning. He sent one of his spies to question the man I arrested, the one who I thought assaulted you."

Her eyes widened, and no words left her mouth.

Kakashi added, "We have to assume he knows your identity, and that you can step into dreams. It's likely he's already accessed your hospital records as well. His men will be scouting the area."

"Danzo is slow to act," Chiisai said, fighting her own worry with logic. "He never makes a move unless the timing is perfect. He'll spy on me for awhile, until he has the information he needs. That will buy us time."

At least she hoped so.

Kakashi took the journals from his pouch and laid them on the table. He glanced at her thigh before saying, "We need to burn all evidence of your abilities. I left one with Lady Tsunade. Are the rest still in the cabinet?"

She nodded. Kakashi left and came back with them piled inside an aluminum bowl. He then went to the smoke detector and removed the batteries. Chiisai watched as he opened the windows before lighting a match.

Maybe she should tell him why she had them. That sometimes, when she woke up in the dead of the night, she went to the kitchen to make sure they were there. It had been her lifeline to reality for several years.

But she was past that now, and it needed to be done.

Flames erupted to life, and Chiisai covered her face with the blanket as the fire quickly consumed the books.

The smell of smoke filled the air, and Chiisai coughed. The throbbing in her head grew, and Chiisai shut her eyes, praying it would go away.

Gods, she was exhausted. So many things were happening, she could barely keep her head straight. Was the room spinning? Or was that the smoke?

"Chiisai?"

Right, she was still under the blanket.

Chiisai pulled the blanket off her head, and the movement strained against her stitches. "I'm suddenly very, very tired," she said. "Bone tired. Dead tired."

Kakashi shook his head and stared down at the smoking bowl. Charred paper and glowing embers sat at the bottom. "You shouldn't have gone out," he said. "I knew you'd give out like this."

"Hmm." Chiisai moved to her side and pressed her ear to the pillow. She curled her legs up and said, "You got in way over your head with me, huh."

"That's putting it lightly," he scoffed. "You're almost worse than Naruto."

"Serves you right...For snooping," she muttered. It was becoming difficult keeping her eyes open, and even the intense smell of burned books did little to her senses. "Idiot."

"There are very few people who have gotten away with calling me that, and one of them is dead," he said.

"I deserve a medal then."

There was a pause, and she imagined the corner of his lips curling up in a smile.

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Kakashi sighed as he looked down at Chiisai. Her bangs covered her eyes while she slept, and she laid on her side, with her hands tucked under her cheek. Her dress, as comfortable and plain as it looked, did little to hide her curves. Images flashed in his mind, of a wet shirt and black laced underwear, and Kakashi swallowed.

His eye darted away from her and settled on the window. He had never seen her look this peaceful and unalert, and it almost felt invasive.

The bitter smell of ash filled the room. He had panicked, he realized, burning her journals in her home like this, but with the way things were spiraling, he was better safe than sorry.

Kakashi sighed and turned back to Chiisai. By the way the couch sunk, she was liable to injure her back.

He bent down and gathered her up in his arms. She was incredibly light, and he blinked in surprise when she nestled into his chest. Clearly, she was comfortable, and Kakashi smiled, distracted. She'd never have done this while awake, and he could already picture her waking up in his arms and tumbling out of them.

His steps were silent as he carried her into her bedroom. Gently, he laid her down in the bed. He picked up a discarded blanket and placed it over her, making sure her feet were covered.

The blanket was soft to the touch, a light green fleece that was covered in cat hair. Kakashi pulled it up over arms, and she reached out to him, and her finger curled around his.

She mumbled, "Don' leave."

He stared down at their connected fingers as he processed her words. She was clearly out of it, her eyes weren't even opened. He didn't know why he was hesitating, but he found himself bending down and whispering, "I don't think you know who you're talking to."

Her hand dropped, and she furrowed her brows. She sank deeper into the bed and rolled away on her side. "I don' wanna be alone," she mumbled.

His movements stopped as her words sank in.

A small alarm was going off in the back of his head, blaring out that he should leave. That there wasn't a need to share in her vulnerability, and that she had chosen to be alone, just like him. But his eye was still trained on her back, and her long dark hair cascading over her shoulder, and how she looked so incredibly small.

Finally, after a moment, he sighed again and pulled out Icha Icha. He sat down and brought his legs up. The mattress sank under his weight.

He made a note to rebandage her wounds later- he didn't want an infection to form.

She rolled back over and rested her bandaged cheek against the pouch strapped to his thigh. A growl escaped her lips as the hard metal of the shurikens pressed into her, and her hands went to grab it.

"Oi, stop," Kakashi said. He grabbed her hand and laid it back down.

He stood and unstrapped the pouch. A noise escaped her lips as she laid her arm over where Kakashi had just rose from. She searched for him, and her lips pouted as she said, "You left."

He laid the holster on her nightstand and moved her arm away. "I'm right here, baka."

A smile slowly spread on her face, warm and inviting, and she drew her hand back and whispered, "Yay."

The word was more breath than voice. He fought a smile as he sat back down. This time, Chiisai was quick to wrap her arm around his leg. He froze as she nuzzled against him, and his instinct was to move out of reach of her grasp, like he did when Naruto slept beside him on missions.

"You've needed a hug, Farm Boy," the words tumbled out of her mouth as her arm and leg tightened around him.

Chiisai was talking in her sleep, completely unaware of what she was doing, and strangely, it felt pleasant. To be touched, to be held, even if it was only his leg, even if it was something as innocent as this.

"So you really do like me," he replied. "Hmm."

She had known about his past, his nightmares, since she was a child. The burden she carried for him must have been like a heavy weight- he remembered their first encounter, when her knees had almost buckled and a tear had slid down her cheek. He thought it had been from her own trauma, but it had been his own reflected in her eyes.

He suddenly realized how calm he was, despite what he had discovered moments ago. He should be planning his next move, learning more about her abilities, and informing Lady Tsunade. But just a smile and a touch from Chiisai, and he no longer was bombarded by his rising worries. How could someone have such power over him so quickly?

He glanced down at her. Her mouth was open, and her breathing was heavy, and it was impossibly endearing seeing her like this.

And the more he thought about her, and felt her against him, the more he realized that perhaps he was tired of being alone, too.

Nails clicked against the hardwood, and Kakashi glanced up to see Pakkun and Tori. Between Pakkun's teeth was a bag that smelled of charred beef and bones.

Pakkun dropped the bag and sat. "The balcony window was open. Did you see the two ninja scouting the place?''

Kakashi nodded. "Danzo has his men out."

Torri hopped up on the bed and kneaded a bundle of blankets, his ear tilted towards Kakashi's voice.

"So," Pakkun said, looking at Chiisai, "I thought you said there was nothing going on between you two."

"There's not," he said simply, ignoring the fact that Chiisai was currently holding his left leg hostage.

Pakkun shook his head. "You're in denial, boss." He picked up his bag of treats and mumbled, "At least she likes dogs."

He disappeared in a puff of smoke before Kakashi could say anything.

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Chiisai awoke to pressure on her stomach, and she opened her eyes to see Tori sitting in her. He meowed, and Chiisai groaned, rubbing her forehead.

Right- she was injured.

She glanced around, and Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. Slowly, she gently nudged Tori off of her and sat up.

Gods, she had needed that nap. After everything that had happened, having a blissful few hours of unconsciousness was a welcome reprieve.

She glanced around. The lights were off, and the curtain blocked out most of the light from outside. Maybe she had slept longer than she thought.

She frowned and turned the lamp on. It was bright orange, casting long shadows on the walls and floor. She winced, but her eyes adjusted, and she watched as the light began to flicker.

Huh. Must be a loose bulb.

There was a knock on the cracked open door, and Kakashi peeked his head in. "Glad to see you're awake."

She nodded and got to her feet. The past day's events flickered across her memory, and she cleared her throat, saying, "Sorry about today- with Lady Tsunade. I keep causing problems, don't I."

Kakashi stepped inside, jamming his hands in his pockets. "It's nothing we can't sort out." He paused and said, "I've been doing some digging, and I think I know what the problem is."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

His laid back demeanor faded, and he took another step forward. His hair reflected the orange light, and it reminded her of flames.

"What you did today, what you'll be able to do when the seal breaks- it's dangerous."

She hesitated, not liking where this was going. "It can be, yes, just like any jutsu."

His tone was hard as he replied, "This goes beyond jutsu, beyond any kekkei genkai I've ever seen. You're dangerous, Chiisai. You're the problem."

Chiisai's eyes widened, and she took a step back, colliding with the nightstand. It rattled against the floor, and the light flickered out.

Kakashi lifted his headband and opened his Sharingan eye. Kakashi's voice echoed in her mind, his red eye glowing in the darkness.

You're a monster, and a murderer, and you're not worth the safety of the village.

Chiisai squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears, but it was too late, and he was under her genjutsu.

Fear coursed through as she opened her eyes.

Images of her mother and father rose from the ground, towering over her. She scrambled to
the window as her father advanced.

He looked the same as the last time she saw him. His dark hair was pulled back, and his leaf headband shimmered on his forehead. His black eyes didn't shine as he looked down at her, and his thin lips were turned down with disgust.

"You deserve everything that's happened to you," her mother said from behind him. Her large brown eyes were red rimmed and hard. A once beautiful woman, her face was now lined with despair and hard wrinkles. "Every hit your father gives you, you deserve."

Purple markings rose to the surface of her mother's face, her skin cracking and bleeding as she added, "And every hit he gives me should be yours."

"Stop!" Chiisai yelled. Tears spilled from the corner of her eyes as she pressed herself against the window. Her heart rammed against her chest, her body trembling with fear. She quickly turned and fumbled for the latch, but she saw it had been nailed to the window seal.

There was nowhere to run, and she cried out as her father's nails dug into her scalp, forcing her to turn and face him.

They were dead. They were dead and she wanted them dead and it was her fault. All her fault.

Her father's face was grim, and he shook his head. "You're a monster, and you'll be treated as such."

I will make you suffer.

Her father's features morphed, and suddenly, he had silver hair, a masked face. Kakashi now stood in front of her, and he leaned forward, tilting his head to the side, as if going for a kiss. His left hand curled around her arm, his grip tightening as she tried to step away, to get away from the man she had thought she could call friend.

No, this wasn't her Farm Boy, this was Friend-Killer Kakashi, and he had come for her.

Kakashi's breath was warm in her ear as he whispered like a secret, "The Hokage has ordered your death, Chiisai, and I'm your executioner."

Chidori flashed in his hand, and he pulled back, meeting her eyes in a frenzy of light. There was no pain, no regret, only a hard determination, an order that must be kept.

His chidori made contact, and pain erupted across her senses as she was pinned to the wall. The smell of her burning flesh filled the air, and her blood was on his face, his clothes, the floor. Tendrils of smoke twisted up from her chest, and she realized she could no longer breathe, and her lungs were obliterated, and warm blood dripped from her bottom lip and splattered on his arm.

A small part of her was relieved to know that the shame and guilt would end soon, that she'd finally be free from the weight of her past sins.

The lies, the hiding, the pretending- it was finally over.

Kakashi yanked his arm out, and she crashed to the floor as he said grimly, "Your time has come to an end."