Impossible to Foretell

Chapter 40: Walking Back

We walked all the way back to the village. It took two days, but we were traveling with a large number of people who had been recovered from the bowels of the facility and were bringing them back to the village for a full medical examination. I was on Kakashi's back, thoroughly embarrassed by how undignified I looked the entire way. Anzu was walking next to us and jabbering away about lots of different things like what Kabuto had told her about medical ninjutsu, bad puns, and so much other stuff that I had lost track.

Between the gentle lulling of Kakashi's footsteps, the pain in my hip, and the after affects of opening up the First Gate when I really shouldn't have, I really wasn't able to focus on a thing that she was saying. Kakashi was listening intently, though, making small comments here and there and sending her smiles that she could only see a little bit of because of his mask.

After finding all of the captives who were eligible to stay at his orphanage and introducing himself to them, Kabuto had fallen back about six feet from us, completely lost in thought. His eyebrows were scrunched up and sometimes he would mutter a few things under his breath. I was curious about what he was thinking, but not curious enough to ask. I figured that it probably had something to do with how there would be no room for everyone until the new wing of his orphanage was completed.

The monotony of the journey slowly put me to sleep. What was with me and sleeping so much lately? Had all of my years of sleep deprecation caught up to me finally or had the whole affair just taken a real toll on my body? Probably the latter. For once, my dream was not of someone's death or my final moments with them, a shocking change.

I threw the kunai at the target, and the handle almost completely filled my small hand as I tried to grip it.

Thunk.

It landed about four inches off from the bull's-eye. Shaking my head in anger, I pulled out the next one and threw it as well.

Thunk.

This one was three inches from the bull's-eye. Better, slightly, but still not good enough.

Thunk.

Nope, still not there.

Thunk.

UGH! This was getting frustrating.

Thunk.

...

Thunk.

Thunk.

Thunk.

"AHHHH!" I screamed as the next one left my tiny fist.

Plunk.

I sat down in anger while staring at the kunai that was sticking out of the trunk of the tree that the target was hanging on. Pathetic, my mother would never acknowledge me if I couldn't even hit a target at forty yards with a kunai consistently.

I splayed myself out on my back, arms and legs spread apart in the grass as I closed my eyes to keep the tears from coming.

Thud.

All of my kunai had been dropped into a small pile next to me. My eyes traveled upward to a masked face looking completely bored and disinterested. However, I could tell that a small smile was hidden beneath the fabric.

"Here to tell me just how bad I am at throwing kunai?"

Kakashi sat down in the grass next to me, pulling at the green spears with his hands.

"No. You were actually doing very well. Most people our age throw at targets from ten yards, not forty."

"Well, I don't want to be most people our age. Look at you. You're six and a chunin, and I'm not even a genin yet. No wonder my mother doesn't love me, I'm so weak."

There was a sigh followed by Kakashi pulling himself to his feet, "I would tell you that you're wrong and you're not weak, but you wouldn't believe me. So, do you want to train together?" He helped me to my feet, "Don't do this for your mother, okay? She's just a grumpy old lady so do it for yourself."

I trained harder than I ever had that day.

My knees gave out on me as I laid down in the grass for the second time. Kakashi sat down next to me again as well.

"I'm so tired!"

He laughed, "Yeah, you really pushed yourself to the limit today. The only other person I've seen train that intensely before was Guy. Let's go. We don't want to still be out here when it gets dark."

He stood up, and I couldn't mimic his movement. My legs were too sore to move.

"Kashi, I can't get up!"

Kakashi laughed again, "It's fine. I'll carry you home, Kai."

My cheeks blushed bright red, "No-no-no, I'm fine, really."

He just sighed and placed me on his back. Despite my protests, I was very happy that he was carrying me. My arms wrapped around his neck, and I crossed my ankles in front of him.

As he carried me home, I started to fall asleep, nestling my face into the warm mask around his neck, "Kashi..."

Poorly restrained giggling woke me up. Anzu was clutching her sides with laughter.

As I became more aware of my surroundings, I noticed that my face was pressed up against Kakashi's neck, and when I pulled back, I could see that he was blushing so much that it was visible over the top of his mask.

Bijonko sent me a little smirk, "Having a nice dream?"

Huh? How would they know that I was having a nice dream? Oh, wait. That's not what Bijonko was implying with that question. I was now sporting a blush that matched Kakashi's. I had been nuzzling Kakashi's neck and muttering my nickname for him in my sleep, great.

"What? No! I, uh, was just- Kakashi, do you remember that day when we were around six and I was throwing kunai, and you came by and helped me train?"

"Yes."

"Really? Well, I had actually forgotten about it until just now."

"So you guys have known each other since childhood?" Anzu turned to face Kakashi, "No wonder Kaiyo called you a 'dear friend.'"

Somehow, Kakashi and I managed to turn a brighter shade of red.

He seemed to be at a loss of words, "You really said that, Kaiyo?"

"Ah, well, yeah." While I had forgiven him about a year ago and we had become good friends, I would never admit it to his face. I was too stubborn to let him know that all of my past hate for him had been completely forgotten. And to hear that I had said that to other people was a little bit more than Kakashi could wrap his head around.

The rest of the walk was in a painful silence, and I tried to touch Kakashi as little as possible even though he was carrying me with my stomach flush with his back.