She tensed, and she was quick to reply, "I mean, not just you. Everyone."

Kakashi sighed and rubbed his hand over his masked face. He had just uncovered a retired spy with a special ability hidden in the heart of the village. She had no means of protection, and seemed to care a great deal about the village, if she wasn't acting. What other secrets was she keeping from him? And why did the Third keep her under such wraps?

Though her power appeared quite strong, her last memory didn't bode well. Seals were meant to withhold power, and Lord Hiruzen had deemed it wise enough to restrict Chiisai's chakra.

He said, "Have you had contact with Itachi Uchiha since the massacre?"

"What?" She glared up at him, winced, and added, "Of course not- he's a traitor!"

There was no hint of a lie, and she appeared angry at the mere suggestion of their connection. That was promising, at least.

"Why did the Third seal you? And why does no one know of you?"

She pressed her arms against the restraints and raised her head. In a heat of anger, she yelled, "Do you know how much my head freaking hurts right now? I can barely think, and it hurts to breathe, and my brain feels like it's about to explode! So please put a pause on your limitless curiosity!"

Kakashi blinked in surprise. It was rare to have an adult use such a tone with him (Team Seven, on the other hand, was a different matter), and he finally studied her.

Her chest rose and fell quickly, and when she had glared at him long enough, she collapsed back in the bed with a groan. "I don't want this," she muttered. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

Her body was tense, and sweating under the blankets piled on. Her wrists were red and raw from the friction against the velcro, and her face was a mess of bruises and bandages. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her expression was that of pain and hunger and exhaustion, as if she had already been tortured and interrogated by Ibiki himself.

Her eyes were glossy and wet, and Kakashi realized that he had broken six years of Chiisai's normalcy. He had dismantled her entire identity as a citizen in less than a day, turning her entire world upside down. She wasn't dumb, so she knew what was going to happen next.

A meeting with the Hokage. Reports, information on her seal- Chiisai knew what power her abilities would provide the Leaf, and it looked like she wanted no part of it, as if she were already mourning her future.

There was a knock on the door. Kaori walked in and glanced between the two of them. The silence was heavy with tension, and she paused.

"Oh," she said, "hello Kakashi. Was I interrupting?"

"Hey Kaori," he waved and relaxed his shoulders. He tried to dismantle the atmosphere by replying, "Not at all. How's our patient?"

Chiisai glared at him as Kaori set her clipboard down. Kaori smiled, glanced at the balloons,  and replied, "Her tests all came back relatively well, considering her injuries. The concussion she'll have to watch, of course, to see if the symptoms worsen. Now we just have to see if she can stand."

Chiisai's dark eyes lit up for the first time today. "You're...untying me?"

"Yep," Kaori replied. She pulled off the blankets and undid the binds. Her shoulders hunched as she whispered, "Please don't try to leave again."

Chiisai faintly nodded.

Kaori took hold of Chiisai's hand and gently helped her into a sitting position. Chiisai grunted and rocked forward, holding her head. Kakashi sensed that the next few days of his life would be more trouble than it was worth.

"I still don't understand how you managed to escape in your condition," Kaori said. "Are you experiencing any dizziness, nausea, or headache?"

Chiisai replied, "All."

Kaori scribbled on her clipboard. "You're likely to experience that then in the next week or so, I'm afraid. But if it gets worse, or if something doesn't seem right, like you're forgetting things, you should come back."

"Great." She kept her gaze to the floor.

Chiisai's legs dangled off the bed. She had on solid green paper-thin scrubs and it hung off her frame. Slowly, she eased her body forward. She had to practically jump off to get her feet flat on the floor.

And jump she did. And fell straight to the ground.

Kakashi immediately stood and caught her. Her fingers dug into his vest, and she pressed her forehead into his chest. He glanced down at her. The bandages on the crown of her head were stained orange. She seemed impossibly light against him, and he was glad her energy was spent.

As if realizing what she was doing, Chiisai immediately pulled back and stumbled. Her legs buckled, and Kakashi caught her again, this time under her armpits. He hauled her up and laid her on the bed. Kakashi placed his hand on his hip and said, "Oi, you're such a hassle."

She touched the back of her head and forced out, "Why did I ever think you were nice?"

He crossed his arms. "I could say the same to you." He turned to Kaori and added, "She seemed so polite when we first met."

Chiisai rubbed her wrists and replied, "That was before I was assaulted."

"I offered to walk you home," he said with a shrug. He sat back down and added, "You should have taken it."

Chiisai's body swayed, and she dug her fingers into the sheets to right herself. "Don't you think you were coming on too strong?"

"Not really." He pulled out Icha Icha and opened it up. "Women usually don't turn me down."

Chiisai scoffed at the novel in his hand and retaliated with, "With your tastes I'm sure the women... don't come cheap."

Kakashi flattened his eyebrows. For someone so injured, her quips were quick and full of distaste. It looked like she had exhausted herself just from the conversation. She could barely sit up straight.

Kaori cleared her throat. "Well, that was a rough start," she said. Her brown eyes flickered to Kakashi as she asked, "Are you sure you want to go through with this? Irritability can also be an effect of the concussion."

Kakashi nodded, and it didn't go unnoticed by Chiisai.

"What?" she asked.

Kaori forced a tight smile. "I have good news- you're free to go after you finish up some paperwork."

Her eyebrows furrowed, and she winced, touching her bandages. "What's the bad news?"

Kaori picked up a bundle of papers. "Chiisai, given the specifications of your chart, we've done all that we can for you. However, if you're to be released, you need to be under supervision. The hospital can provide a health aide to oversee home care for patients who live alone or do not have anyone to care for them presently." She paused and finished with, "Lucky for you, someone has volunteered their services."

Her eyes shrunk in their sockets. She turned her head to Kakashi, though it looked painful, and said, "What does that mean?"

"I volunteered as your medical aide, since I have nothing better to do." Kakashi turned a page in Icha Icha. "Or, you can stay here if you want, strapped to this bed. Hopefully your cat won't disown you."

Her voice was desperate as she asked, "These are my only two choices?"

Kaori nodded.  "I'm afraid so. Kakashi meets the requirements for standard care. He's more than qualified, given his military background, and you aren't going to find anyone else available for at least two more days."

Chiisai's eyes were hard as she muttered, "This is...a big decision, for someone so injured."

Kakashi didn't speak for a moment. This mission he made for himself should be relatively easy, he thought. Take care of Chiisai and gain information on her abilities- two goals that, with his ninja experience, should be a walk in the park.

Kakashi lifted his gaze to hers. She was small, and battered, but the look in her eyes was one of pure hostility. She knew she was trapped, all thanks to him.

So he put on his best smile and asked, "What's it going to be, Chiisai?"