Masked Rivals /A Kakashi Fanfiction\

Chapter 17

It seems my face hadn't just been red due to the blush of Kakashi's close proximity. It was a fever from a slight infection in my wound. So once I fell asleep from crying in his arms, my body tried to sleep through the fever.

Kakashi couldn't wait for me to wake up this time. He knew if what bit of medicine Tsuname had wasn't enough to completely ebb the infection and stop the fever, then it was best to get straight back to Konoha where there were doctors and medical nin who could handle it.

When I finally awoke again, I was perched on Kakashi's back. My head was laying against the back of his neck and his hands were scooped under my knees, keeping my thighs wrapped tight around his waist. My right arm was hung lazily across his shoulders sticking out passed his face, while the left hung by my side to keep from fidgeting my shoulder too much.

My head felt heavy and clouded, making me not want to move a muscle, so Kakashi didn't notice movement or that I'd woken up right away.

I glanced to the left and noticed the tree line was moving-we were moving. I guess that's why he's carrying me. I glanced to the right and there were his three students walking beside him. Sakura was sticking close to Sasuke, ready to help him keep walking since he was still healing up. But, Sasuke was too stubborn to allow help after three days rest and kept batting her hand away each time he stumbled slightly and she would reach for his arm. Naruto was dragging his feet along and sweating because he was carrying his backpack and Kakashi's since I was in its place.

Out of my peripheral I noticed my arms, and that my wrists were naked-no tether.

"Don't get too excited." Kakashi spoke up, having noticed my movement and assuming I also noticed the tether. I felt a tug at my waist and looked down to see that he had just simply adjusted the placement. "I can't limit the range of motion in my arms and carry you." He explained.

By now all eyes were on us. The three were quite interested in what we would say-what I would say.

"I wasn't getting excited. I was just making a simple observation." I groaned at the end and laid my forehead against his back and my eyes shut tight, trying to stop the swirling feeling in my brain. If it keeps up I think I'll be sick.

Kakashi took cue from my actions and for a moment he let go of one of my legs while fiddling for something in his vest pocket. "Here, take this." I wearily lifted my head just enough to see his hand reaching over his shoulder holding a couple white pills between his fingers waiting for me to take them from him.

The muscles in my arm ached when I pulled it back to grab the medicine. The pills went down slow and tasted disgusting without something to wash them down with, but it was still better than nothing. Once down, I turned my head to the right, resting my left cheek against his back. His vest was cool and it felt good against my flushed cheek.

I tried to go back to sleep, hoping my body might be weary enough to let me sleep through this ache. But I felt like I was being watched and opened my eyes to see Sakura staring at me, looking like she wanted to say something.

"What's your name?" I asked, playing the role and pretending this was our first encounter.

She gave out a little squeak in surprise that I had spoken to her. "S-sakura." She stuttered with slightly widened eyes.

I chuckled lightly while giving her a small closed eye grin. "Don't worry. There's no need for you to be scared of me. I promise."

Her pink hair covered her eyes as she looked down, focusing on her feet after I called her out for being scared in front of her teammates "I'm not scared. But, Kakashi-sensei did tell us about how you're apart of a group of s-rank criminals, so we cannot let our guard down around you." She stated.

"Was part of a group. Was. Why doesn't anyone listen."

"A group of criminals doesn't make you. You are a criminal. So whether you're with them or not, you could still turn on us at any moment and try to kill us just as I'm sure you have before." Sasuke spoke up. His voice was not it's usual monotone. It was full of anger and his eyes held hatred when he looked over at me.

But it's not me he's looking at with those eyes... he's looking right through me and seeing his brother...

His words struck a nerve and I lifted my head off Kakashi's back, glaring right back at the twerp. "You don't know me, so don't you dare compare me to that bastard! I could never be a killer like-s**t!"

Kakashi 'stumbled' before I could say Itachi's name, causing my shoulder to bump his and I cursed in pain. I got the hint and didn't say another word about Sasuke's brother. The group fell into an awkward silence, so I just laid my head back on Kakashi's shoulder and pretended to fall back asleep.

When we reached the pier to ride the boat back across, Kakashi squeezed his grip on my legs to get my attention before he slowly let them slip from his grasp.

"Thank you." I mumbled, then stumbled for a moment as I tried to get my bearings.

Kakashi didn't miss a beat, swiveling around and grabbing my wrist to help steady me. Then he moved from my wrist to my hand, helping me balance as I stepped into the boat.

With the way I felt, sitting upright on the hard wood seat just made my body ache. As far as I could move without being pulled back by the tether, I set on the floor laying against the side of the boat with my legs curled up into my chest. I just let my head lull against the edge and watched the movement of the water as we drifted passed.

Again I felt like I was being watched and looked over to find the blonde now staring at me, looking like he had some thought on his mind.

"Something on your mind?" I asked, causing him to jump. He hadn't noticed I caught him staring and blushed a bit.

"It's just..." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he thought about whether or not to say it, "...Well... I was trying to picture you-ow! What was that for!" Sakura swat Naruto upside his head.

"No one needs to hear about those thoughts!" She yelled at him, assuming he meant something pervy when he hesitated after 'picturing you'

"Will you give me a minute to finish!" He yelled back at her. His face even redder at her implication. "What I was trying to say before I was so rudely interrupted-" he paused to shoot Sakura a glare, "-I was trying to picture you being a rogue ninja joining the Akatsuki and being a criminal...but I just don't see it-"

"I can." Kakashi piped in and I sent him a quick glare before returning my attention back to Naruto. He was now looking at me with a deep stare, like he was trying to analyze me...and he was.

"-you don't actually like the bad things they make you do, do you?"

His question certainly caught me off guard. I just shook my head 'no' as my gaze drifted to my hand on the edge of the boat.

"Then why did you join them to begin with?" His tone had changed from hard and determined to soft and understanding. For a preteen he certainly was smart and for Naruto- surprisingly observant.

"I didn't abandon a village and go rogue...my village abandoned me when I was just a child. When the leader of the Akatsuki found me I was only 7, alone in the wilderness and dying from starvation. I didn't join the Akatsuki, I was raised by the Akatsuki. So when the reason you're even alive tells you to do something, you do it." I answered him.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, not having noticed Naruto had sat himself right in front of me while I was too busy keeping my eyes on my hands. He was leaning forward in his seat acting all serious as he assessed me with narrowed eyes for a moment. Sakura and Sasuke were just quiet, watching their hands like I had as they thought about what I said.

I glanced back at Kakashi as I felt his gaze on me. The look in his eye was of wonder. He assumed he knew what kind of person I was from all our previous encounters. But now, Kakashi thought that maybe he had some of it wrong.

"You know what I think of that?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know...what?" I slowly turned my attention back to Naruto​.

"You don't have any friends, do you?"

"Excuse me?" I gaped at the boy, not having expected the conversation to go this way.

Sakura finally lifted her head up, looking at Naruto like he was an i***t.

"I just thought that since you're just like me, you don't have any friends either..."

"Just like you?" Kakashi questioned, wondering where he was going with this. And so was I.

"No parents...the village may not have abandoned me, but everyone in it has hated and avoided me since I was a babe. Missions and training with Team 7 is the most time I've spent with anyone my whole life." Now it was Naruto who was watching his hands solemnly as he spoke about our similarities. "So, what I was thinking is that...since we both know what it's like...I could be your friend...and you could be mine..."

I couldn't help but smile at his sweet gesture and nodded my head in agreement when he looked back up at me.

Kakashi on the other hand groaned and face palmed. "Naruto. You're not supposed to befriend your enemy." He sighed while shaking his head in his hands.

"Hey, any friend of mine could never be the enemy." He retorted with a big cheesy grin.

Kakashi let out a deep aggravated sigh at his students actions. "You should remember she is still to be taken in for questioning." He warned his student.

"We ain't worried about that." Naruto chuckled as he slung his arm around my good shoulder. "She does't have anything to hide. Right, Haruhi?" Naruto beamed at Kakashi expecting me to immediately follow suit in agreement. "Right...Haruhi?" He repeated after a minute when I didn't respond.

"Yukaru"

"What?" He asked, not getting what I said.

"My name is Yukaru..."