Flower in the Mirror [Hatake Kakashi] [1]

❄️ Chapter 35 ❄️

It had been a very long time since Yumetsuki had felt this swept of coldness in her chest. Yet here she was, feeling so cold that it felt like she would burn. Her body was moving without any prompt her, the beat of her heart not nearly as fast as the hit of her feet against the ground as she travelled across the country. It was stupid to travel across the international waters that led to a nation as volatile in its nature as the Land of Waves – but there was no stopping Yumetsuki. She would have not stopped even if she had the capacity to decide for herself.

Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura had
been attacked by Momochi Zabuza.

Momochi Zabuza was not a new name to Yumetsuki – the estranged Kiri-Nins had both fought each other numerous times over their youth. It had been a very long time since Yumetsuki had last faced the Demon of Kirigakure. In fact, there had been quite some while since Yumetsuki had even heard of him interacting with any of her close friends. But that was not to say that she had forgotten the threat he held over the region up north.

Some used to say that Zabuza deliberately avoided running into Yumetsuki. It was not certainly because of his insecurity or considering himself weaker than her. The two had clashed far too many times, and he had always managed to get away live from her. The same could not be said about a few of others from his time as the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Yumetsuki had strength in their terrain that could not be discounted.

Kakashi was hurt during the fight.

The thought of this continued to spiral in Yumetsuki's mind in an endless loop, a loop that could quite possibly drive her mad if she did not get to see his condition. She had already created a hundred possibilities in her mind and a thousand remedies for them – she knew Kakashi's body better than he did himself. She could quite possibly plan the entire battle in an excruciatingly perfect accuracy... but there had been three children and an elderly man with him.

There was no way Kakashi could have allowed himself to be this stupid in a battle otherwise. Yumetsuki trusted in Kakashi's ability – she knew he would have overexerted himself in the effort to make sure that no one else was hurt in his presence. She knew that Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura could not be hurt if Kakashi was looking over them. They simply could not.

When Yumetsuki arrived on the doorstep of Tazuna's humble house on the misty outskirts of the Land of Waves. It was not hard for her to locate it – she was far too familiar with the Chakras of those inside that house. Her family was inside that place. The door flung open almost immediately by a woman with dark hair, Tsunami, and she immediately seemed to recognise her.

Yet at that moment, there was nothing that Yumetsuki could see. Tsunami had said something, and appeared to have offered her some slippers to wear inside. But Yumetsuki could not worry less about it right now – "Where's Kakashi-Kun?"

Despite having herself asked that question from the homeowner, Yumetsuki's unearthly blue eyes had already oriented themselves in the direction of the room where Kakashi's Chakra as he was the North to her Compass. Without waiting for Tsunami to confirm this, Yumetsuki's bare feet moved in an urgency towards the room.

Yumetsuki slid the door to the room open, slipping inside and closing it shut behind her. As soon as she was alone in that room, all poise left her as she quickly dropped herself next to Kakashi's unconscious body. She pulled back the blanket, lightening the load on his body by removing his headband, gloves, pouch and flak jacket. She lowered his mask, moving his hair out of his face.

It did not take her more than a second to recognise that Kakashi had not been injured – but he had clearly over-exhausted himself due to the use of his Sharingan. Yumetsuki had no doubts that Zabuza was stronger than Kakashi. There was a lot that she wanted to ask him about where Zabuza went but she did not say anything.