Log : Kakashi and Shizune (Part 1)

[wandererkakashi]

Characters: Kakashi, Shizune
Setting: Tea country; December 23, 17 AR
Rating: PG
Warnings: Blood and references to dirty humor :D
Summary: While Tsunade is away, Shizune comes across an injured and unconscious Kakashi. She begins to treat him and he soon wakes up... (Part 1. Read part 2 here.)


Kakashi stumbled again, his right hand shooting out and only just catching hold of the nearest trunk. The forest around him reeled as he collapsed against the thin tree with another cough, the vision in his right eye now beginning to double. He cursed quietly and closed it, shutting out the harsh afternoon sunlight, and slumped against the pillar using a bit of what strength he had left. His side and back continued to throb; a new warmth was seeping down his spine.

Still bleeding.

As if that realization gave him a new burst of energy, Kakashi shoved himself off and away from the tree, managing to take another five tentative, staggering steps before hitting his knees. He gritted his teeth at the impact, which sent another wave of electrifying pain up his legs and torso, and glared in frustration at the grass beneath him.

He was at least a week away from the Fire country by average walking distance, and the journey would only take longer at his current rate. His senses of time and distance were crippled in his condition, leaving him only with the knowledge that he was, basically, in the middle of nowhere, some unknown distance from the nearest town.

The fact alone that he had made it this far in such a state was a feat in itself, but that was little comfort when the edges of his already limited sight were beginning to darken.

No, he ordered, keep going. About a minute passed before Kakashi's limbs obeyed, his legs slowly working to set him back on his feet. His mask stuck to his dry lips as his shallow breaths--already much shorter than they had been moments before--tested the capacity of his raw lungs. He coughed, tasted blood; the effort made the wound in his back pulse.

Reaching behind him and under his cloak--a movement that nearly cost him his balance--Kakashi touched gingerly at the damp spot under his shoulder blade and his eye narrowed as he remembered the one responsible. Numbering about two dozen, the ambush of mercenaries had hardly been something to call a challenge, but he had underestimated them. That, and his body was already worn out from the battle before, in which he had been forced to use that technique...in the end, one of the fighters had managed to put a good-sized dagger in Kakashi's back before dying. The resulting wound was only one of many that pained him now, but most of his fatigue came from the blood that had been lost through that one alone.

He drew his hand back, ignoring the scarlet that stained his fingertips, and shuddered briefly before forcing another step.

That was apparently as far as he was fated to go on his own. His muscles seemed to simply give out all at once and a second later he hit the ground, his consciousness lingering long enough to let him feel a searing pang ripple over his right knee--the familiar sign of a torn muscle.

"Ugh..." Kakashi's last thin hold on reality flickered once, twice, and then died as his mind and body finally collapsed under the amounted strain of exhaustion.

Mint, balm, cinquefoil, bugleweed... Shizune checked the basket that was unexpectedly and happily full. The marshy area had been a treasure trove of useful herbs for healing and magic. There was no adderwort or comfrey, but what she had found would do very well till they again ran low. She was just about to gather herself and get to her feet when she heard a rustling thump. Only then did she realise the birds hadn't been singing in the immediate area, and cursed herself for a fool for not noticing earlier.

Holding her breath, she stayed low in the ditch, letting the taller grasses be her cover as she carefully looked around. The noise was repeated, a little further away, and if she was very quiet, she could just barely hear a quiet rasping sound. She stood up quietly, worried now. It could be some wounded animal that had escaped a local hunt, and she didn't really want to be facing down something so unreasonable as an angry wild boar, but if there was a chance she could do some good... well, she'd have to find out and then make her decision.

Stepping out of the reeds, she found out tracking was going to be easier than she thought, but treating could be more difficult. The bloody hand print on the tree in front of her was a clear sign that it wasn't a deer or boar. But she would have to be even more careful in that case. She and Tsunade-hime were only a little ways out from Konoha, and her mistress had made it very clear that they were not going to get involved in any happenings there.

But still... she couldn't just leave whoever it was to die, and likely fatality became more and more apparent as she saw the blood trail. Too much blood had been lost for this unfortunate to survive without some serious help. She didn't have to go far. In the next clearing she found a crumpled form, slumped on his face, bleeding badly from his back, and one leg twisted at what looked like an uncomfortable angle.

"Oh dear." She approached quickly, but cautiously, listening for any signs of life. It was a man, but he didn't groan or try to move. His breathing was harsh and uneven, but still strong enough to suggest a will to live - but she had to work quickly. Moving him just enough to slice his shirt open from the knife-rent down, she used her canteen water to wash the worst of the blood away and reveal how bad the wound under his shoulder blade was. Fresh blood welled up immediately, and it was growing slower. One hand pulling out a packet of arnica powder and a clean cloth to staunch the bleeding, the other made a sign, and she gathered power into her, breathing deeply, evenly, as Tsunade-hime had taught. If this wound didn't close, the others were of no consequence.

If Kakashi had been capable of telling how much time had passed while unconscious, that skill, too, would have been useless at this point. His senses were dimmed, barely present enough to let him discern that he had awoken, but still able to pick up on the pain that erupted up and down his body almost instantly.

Temperature was the second thing he noticed: the warmth of his spilled and still spilling blood, the cool grass and dirt beneath him. He couldn't have been laying there for too long.

A breeze skimmed over his back. His bare back, he noted, but that comprehension came and went in the blink of an eye, caught up in the whirlwind of thoughts that made his aching head pound worse when he tried to follow it.

Cracking his right eye open, he almost started at the light that immediately blinded it, but instead only winced and tried to clear his blurred sight by staring straight ahead. Movement towards the right caught his attention--he dragged his gaze over. The darkness threatening to engulf his eye's border, as well as the hair scattered across his face, kept him from seeing much, but even that was enough.

Someone was crouching beside him. Touching him.

When Kakashi tried to look further, his temples protested in a burst of agony that made him fall limp, unconscious again.

He woke a second time, bearing little memory of what had passed seconds before. All he knew was that he was injured, nearly defenseless, and not alone. Had he been more alert, he would have taken a few more seconds to analyze the situation; but being half-conscious, and thus only half-thinking, his first reaction was to quickly try and raise himself on his hands. The attempt, disturbing that same forgotten injury, sent him back into the ground with a grunt as more pain flared along his back.

He managed to catch himself, placing most of his weight on his left side and retreating from the one nearby in the same motion. Raising his head would have been a waste of energy--he could barely move, and needed to save any strength as a last resort in case he really needed it--so he rested his forehead on his arm, breathing heavy, that one slight movement having taken up more power than he could give. Kakashi's free hand stay by his side, his mind scraping up enough sense to keep some mode of defense ready.

He moved, winced, then passed out again, but it didn't last. Shizune tried to move quickly, and set her healing energy as gently as she could into his shoulder, sealing the healing plant material into the magic of the spell. She had nothing to dull the pain. She regretted that. He would be hurting very badly when he woke up again.

Which was much sooner than she thought. He jerked awake and tried to lift himself from the ground, but only crashed back into it.

"Please, don't! Lie still! You're going to make the injury worse."

He probably couldn't even hear her, as hurt and tired as he was. He managed to slightly roll away from her, but she merely scooted closer, hoping he'd understand in a moment, and kept her hand firmly against the wound, pouring her gathered energy into mending what was torn and broken. She needed another minute for the healing to do as much good as she could manage. She needed him to be still. She didn't know what to do to let him know she meant no harm.

Wait, there was on thing more she could do. She didn't have any pain reducing plants to help her spells, but she could block his pain by taking it on herself. It was never her first choice in dealing with patients, but she'd done it before - it would work. Keeping her right hand over the wound, she reached a little awkwardly around with the left and gently stroked the hair back from his eyes. Odd, he wore a mask, and his look... was very dangerous.

"Please lie still a moment more, sir, just let me stop the bleeding. Please."

Trying to ignore the fact this position would leave her open for a fatal strike if he should rouse, Shizune leaned further over him, put her left hand gently at the base of his skull and closed her eyes. This was going to hurt. Saying a quiet phrase, she tried to make the connection and siphon the pain away from his nerves and into her own. Just for a few minutes. Just to give him a little respite.

Tensing all over, she almost lost her concentration on his wound, but she fought through it and kept going. She'd been injured before, but not like this. And added to the wound she was healing, there was a low burning pain in his knee, his lungs felt like fire and sand, so many small cuts that felt very new to her - and he was so tired.

Panting, beads of sweat forming on her forehead, she gasped quietly, "J-just another m-minute, please."

With his surroundings flickering in and out of focus, Kakashi didn't notice the woman's approach until her hand brushed his forehead. The sudden contact made him jerk in surprise, but then his gaze found her at last. Although his guard didn't lower in the slightest, the sight of her pretty face calmed him a bit.

He then grasped that the touch along his back wasn't the wind, but something more solid. Warmer. A familiar sensation was spreading along the wound.

Healer...?

She said something, but he only caught about half of it as his mind started to go under again. When he opened his eye a few moments later, Kakashi found himself staring into her dark chest as she hung over him. Assuming the worst, his instincts panicked and he began to resist, planning to push her off, but then he stopped.

The ache in his head was fading, along with every other pain he could feel. His back, his leg, everything was just suddenly...better. He was still sore, but the sting was disappearing almost faster than he could comprehend.

He relaxed, muscles unwinding, and allowed his head to hit the ground with a relieved moan. His mind now much more clear, he began to gather his thoughts.

He had collapsed. He was injured. This healer had obviously found him and decided to help, whoever she was.

Looking up, Kakashi found her face again, but her expression momentarily puzzled him. Pain dominated her features--her breath was quickening, her skin was damp, and it was then that he noticed her hands were shaking.

Kakashi knew little to nothing when it came to medicine in magic, but even he could tell that something was wrong. At first he thought that perhaps she had lost control of her power and was suffering a recoil--but if that was so, the soreness in his body wouldn't have continued to dissipate, would it? It should have stopped, or backfired in the worst case scenario.

Whatever was happening, whatever she was doing to help him, it was hurting her.

He tried to speak, but only succeeded in splitting his dry lips as they parted; his tongue refused to move and his throat was too dry to make a sound. After moistening the inside of his mouth as best he could, he tried again.

"...Don't..." Hardly a whisper. Kakashi repeated it, louder.

Now it was Shizune's turn not to hear him. Wrapped up in the spells, she gritted her teeth, then licked her lips suddenly at a spark of pain there. She didn't realize she was still mumbling quietly, trying to soothe him, "It's ok... just a little longer... just another minute... it's going to be ok... just lay still, it'll be alright..."

She felt the muscles knit together. The bond was raw and new, but it would hold. The bleeding stopped, the wound closed. Tsunade-hime could even get rid of the scab and the scar. Shizune wasn't that good, but the scab was strong, and wouldn't take long to fall off, with new skin ready beneath.

Now for the hard part. Letting go. It was a delicate balance, and she had to explain. She forced her eyes open, her mouth into a strained smile. "Sir... I'm sorry... but I have to let go, now. I've been shielding you from the pain, but I have to drop the spell to treat your other injuries. I'm going to do it slowly. ...I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt." She looked down, full of sympathy, and braced his back and shoulder with one arm, smoothing back his hair again with her other hand, then getting it under his neck to support his head. She could block more once she had checked his other wounds, even leave him with a block that would fade slowly, but now she had to let him bear the pain again alone for a little while. "Do you understand? Are you ready?"

Kakashi cringed as his skin closed--not in pain, but simply because it was a feeling that he had never gotten used to. He wondered if she was ignoring him, or if she hadn't even heard his protest; judging by the look of concentration on her face, either was possible.

He listened to what she had to say without interruption. When she finished speaking, asking if he was ready, Kakashi only settled deeper into the stranger's embrace, face turned towards her torso to conceal what might pass over it once the spell was released.

Kakashi's eye closed.

"Yes."

Shizune slid him a little more into her lap to hold him close and be a pillar against the returning pain. Holding a strange man close to her - a very well built, at least, strange man - his head in her ribs; Shizune pinked and almost burst into laughter. If Princess Tsunade could see her now, she'd... well, she wouldn't believe it, and then she'd laugh so hard and so long, Shizune would never live it down. Her lips thinned in a secret smile. It was good that her mistress was not here, and also good the man couldn't see her terrible blush. She thought she could master it before he lifted his head. Quietly, she offered what comfort she could as she slowly released the spell. "It shouldn't hurt now as much as it did."

The pain seeped out of her and back to its original causes while Shizune held the stranger close and murmered quiet words of comfort. When it was done, she let him be the first to move, but she needed to know.

"Is the pain still sharp in your shoulder? Is it sharp anywhere else it shouldn't be?"

Her hands slid across his back, under the sliced shirt, mending the small cuts and scratches, but stopping at his waist, his sides.

"I'm sorry I had to ruin your shirt further," she hesitated, "I could mend it. It wouldn't take long."

While the pain definitely wasn't welcomed, the woman was right: it was much less intense than before, and the way it gradually slid back into him made it easier to bear. The feel of her hands gliding over his skin, providing cool relief in their wake, was the best thing he had experienced in days, and so in spite of the circumstances Kakashi remained where he was, accepting her offer of support. His exhaustion and gratitude had him convinced that he could trust her.

He soon found that he could move and sensed no immediate danger of fainting again, so after another minute of resting in her arms and listening to her soft words, he drew back a little, just enough to be able to look into her eyes when he spoke.

"No," he murmured in answer to her first question, voice slightly thick. "I don't think..." His joints were still sore from use and his mind a bit groggy, so Kakashi was having some difficulty in distinguishing one pain from another. When she proposed fixing his shirt, he shook his head to clear it and, groaning, sat partway up to alleviate her burden, also trying to keep track of anything that felt unusual.

Overcoming the brief vertigo as well as the sting that hit his left eye, he didn't bother with her second question just yet. He could always repair the shirt himself, but he knew without checking that his magic was drained dangerously low for the time being, meaning he wouldn't be attempting any spells in the immediate future.

Kakashi slipped off of her lap and onto the grass, arching his left leg and leaning against it. Sure enough, there was another injury to be discovered--his right knee twinged when he shifted it, making him wince.

Shizune pursed her lips, very mildly exasperated. Men. Honestly. Who did they think they were fooling? She kept up with him easily enough, and gently, but firmly pressed her hand against his chest to keep him down, reaching for his right knee to feel for swelling and heat.

"I hope you don't take this, I mean, I don't intend this to sound..." she sighed, knowing she was turning pink again, but tried to cover the problem with her best, firmest 'healer's voice'. "I'm not done with you yet, sirrah. You still have torn ligaments in your knee, and various other scrapes that need some sort of attention, unless you're fond of having them become fevered." Giving him a sympathetic look, she unconsciously flicked her tongue over her lower lip, remembering the pain of dry, split skin. "Not to mention water. You need as much water as you can handle right now, but that will be alright, since you're going to have to rest before you try that knee again, even if I can mend everything."

Turning her back on him as she knelt beside him, as much to hide her lack of command as to give him no chance to argue, she reached for his knee, feeling the heat and swelling of the tissue. She started gently levering off his boot. Almost apologetically, she added, "You also need some food, and to warm up a little. I can help with those, too, if you... ah, promise not to run off."

Starting to place one hand behind his knee, the other in front, she added over her shoulder, very quietly, "If they haven't caught up with you yet, you should be safe for another hour."

Kakashi received a little amusement from the color in her cheeks, which until then he had taken as the flush of physical strain.

When she took on more of a commanding tone, Kakashi permitted about half of his attention to wander. It was nothing he hadn't heard before and he had no present intention of disobeying her, so he didn't argue, but kept watching her as he undid the clasp at his neck and tugged his cloak from around his shoulders. He cracked his stiff knuckles and began to unbutton his damp, clinging shirt, or what was left of it, rather, beneath the stains and tattered ends. Shrugging that off--his mask was a separate article altogether, stretching down to his collarbone, so his face was still hidden--he reclined until he was lying flat on his back and draped the shirt over his face, wiping at the sweat and blood that soiled it before going still and using the cloth as a shield against the sunlight.

He could have fallen asleep then and there, but at the word "food," he inwardly perked up. Kakashi had never been one to turn down a meal, so long as he knew the source, and he was fully aware that he wouldn't get far without one. Dragging his shirt away from his face, he stared skyward and paused only long enough to appear as though he were considering it.

"Very well," he consented after a few seconds, "if you think that's best. I won't move." He didn't point out that the ones who had done this to him were now in no condition to give chase--nor would ever be again.

"Thank you." Shizune half-smiled at his bored tone, his general air of indifference. It was a little annoying, but it was also kind of funny. Ignoring it and him for now, though, she gathered her energy again and focused on his knee, stretching the torn areas to reconnect, making them knit, making them hold. It took less energy, but more time than the shoulder wound had. Work around joints was difficult. Complicated. The human body was amazing, but it was also very specialized, and she wanted to get this right. If she made a mistake, this man could end up with a limp for the rest of his life.

The heat in his knee went down, as did the swelling. Suddenly very tired - she had never done this much healing all at once - she folded her hands in her lap and took a few breaths before scanning for other leg injuries, then turning to check on his torso. Her eyes sighed a little as she saw his mask was separate and still very much on, but didn't pause as she found and healed scrapes and cuts on his chest and sides.

"How does your knee feel? ...it should be mostly healed. You should be able to put your weight on it if you are careful. And not for too long at a time. It would be best to have some walking aid for a week or so." Sheepish, she added, "The bruise patterns will fade in about the same amount of time. I'm sorry I couldn't do a better job."

After another long breath, almost a sigh, she helped him sit, took his shirt, and wrapped her shawl around his shoulders, and handed him her waterskin. "I'm going to get food and my sewing kit. I'll be right back." She then blinked, reached into a bag that smelled like fresh herbs, and pulled out a small bottle of ointment, placing it in his hand. "It's for dry skin. It should help."

Then Shizune got up, a little slowly, as the fatigue from the healing settled, turned her back on him again, and walked off, staying in his sight until she couldn't help it, and not looking over her shoulder. It was one of the harder things she thought she'd done.

Kakashi couldn't help frowning at her suggestion of a walking aid; not only did he dislike the general idea, but having some type of crutch was almost as useless as being off his feet period. Still, he was grateful. Better than having bled to death or crippled his leg permanently.

He let her do as she wanted, smiling to himself when she went so far as to drape her shawl about him, and accepted her flask and bottle in silence as his eye skimmed over the latter. Once she was out of sight, he grasped the bottom of his mask, tugged it down over his chin, and--after sniffing briefly at the contents--gulped half of the water down in one swig. He used some to dampen his hair and smooth it back from his face, and more still to rub over his warm neck and chest before quickly drinking what was left.

Against what was probably the woman's better judgement, Kakashi then stood up, testing his weight on his right knee. It was still somewhat rigid, but he would manage.

Leaning on his good leg, he began to study his surroundings. The Tea country was not one that he visited often, so he wasn't particularly familiar with its layout. He would have to get some idea of where he was when she returned.

He went on standing, wanting to get a little stretching in before she came back and most likely ordered him to rest some more, but his fatigue only permitted about a minute of this before he sat back down. With his mask pulled back up over his face, Kakashi sighed and waited.

At their camp, Shizune put away the extra herbs, then packed soap, needle and thread, food and a blanket, and left a note. "Helping another injured stray." The princess might not appreciate the humor, but she would understand. Then, hopeful that she had packed and had left what was needed, the young healer headed back to where she had found the injured man, refilling the water skin on the way back. She was half convinced he would turn out to be a figment of her imagination - gone like a willow-the-wisp, possibly a faerie playing some sort of trick on her - but he was still there, sitting and waiting for her return. She spent just a moment looking at her shoes before coming over and sitting by him, handing him bread, cheese and fruit.

"My name is Shizune," she offered. Then she commented kindly, hazarding a guess at his profession by his weapon-callused hands, scars, and manners - which common soldiers had very little of at the best of times - "You're not where I left you, exactly, sir knight. How does your knee feel?"

As she listened, she took out his shirt and stood up, almost completely not wrinkling her nose. "I can't mend this till I wash it. Is there anything else you'd like to see receive the benefit of a cleaning?" Her face looked very serious, but there might have been a hint of the prankster in her eyes as she asked. All his clothes needed cleaning, but the knitted shawl she had given him wouldn't do to preserve much, if any, sense of propriety, and, as of yet, she hadn't offered him anything else.

"Much better," he responded, taking the food but momentarily setting it aside. "Your talent is exceptional for one of your age." Thinking that might come off as rude or even patronizing, Kakashi added, "I've met a number of healers in my day, but few could do such a thorough job in so little time; at least, none still in the beauty of her youth." His words weren't empty; for the first time, he had really begun to look at her. Like he had noted earlier, she was pretty, with more of a cute quality about her than anything else. But there wasn't anything immature about her--he had also noticed that rather quickly--and he guessed that she couldn't have been much younger than he.

His right eye closed briefly in a smile, and then he followed her lead of giving only a first name and nodded. "Kakashi."

One thing--of many--that he was criticized for by the other rebels was giving his name out too easily. He had always thought it an unfair accusation despite never objecting to it, but really, that was just because he didn't care. Kakashi always relied on his own impressions first and had found that those impressions were accurate. Unless Shizune was particularly learned in history, she wouldn't make the connection between his first name and his hair color. Even if she did, that was a large assumption to make. But he had felt at ease enough to even remove his shirt, exposing the ANBU brand on his left shoulder; unless she were a member of Akatsuki or the wife of a high-ranking guard of the military--Kakashi had long ago dispelled the former and was growing more certain by the second that the latter wasn't an option, either--it would mean nothing to her.

At her proposition, he missed the mischievous look in her eye as he started pulling the cap off the ointment she had given him. He felt he needed a wash more than anything, but that could be solved as soon as he came across a river once they were done here. "No, but thank you. I'd hate to make you feel like a housewife simply for my benefit." Then again, she had already looked after him, fed him, and was now cleaning his clothes; there wasn't much of a line left to cross.

He had given her a kind compliment, and she couldn't help but smile a little - and then bite her lip to stifle a giggle, thinking Princess Tsunade would be rather Put Out to be categorized as no longer in "the beauty of her youth". Then she realized he had just called her both young and beautiful and had to move quickly on to the next thought, skpping the previous entirely for now. He hadn't batted an eye at her guess of his profession... but then, maybe that's because her guess was wrong. He hadn't caught her joke, but then, she was used to that, too. It was hard to tell what was funny and what wasn't when you spent a lot of time tramping through the backwoods with a powerful, and infrequently cranky sorceress. At least he hadn't started stripping right then. That would have been very bad.

He was taking the cap off the ointment. That was her cue. She set the blanket and full waterskin next to him, picked up the empty, and headed to the stream, trying to figure out how to assure him she wasn't nearby, spying. He obviously had secrets of his own, and she couldn't help but understand and respect that sort of situation. The stream wasn't far, and she didn't have to speak loudly for him to hear her, so she tried to make conversation, fumbling for small talk in a very strange situation. "I know I still have a long way to go," A very long way, "but I'm glad I was able to be useful. I hope you're not too far away from where you were headed...?" She knew where they were, but he might not in the shape she had found him. The blood was being stubborn, but she'd seen and washed worse, so she kept at it, making more noise than perhaps she needed to, and waited for any reply.

As thankful as he was, Kakashi was a little surprised when she turned and walked away. As he had told her, he had been to his share of healers, and most of them--the younger, female ones, anyway--always seemed intent on catching a glimpse of his face. That this one hadn't even attempted it made his liking for her go up a bit.

"I had thought not," he answered, letting his mask fall down around his neck a second time. As he applied the ointment, he said hopefully, "But perhaps you can help me with that matter. Would you happen to know how far Konoha lies from here?"

"Konoha.... " She looked up from the less bloody shirt and across the stream into the deep woods. Her voice held a wistfulness she didn't bother to hide, but she paused longer than she meant to. Shizune always knew how far away they were from Konoha at any given time. Getting back to washing and business, she said, "You're still a ways from the border with the Fire Country. About five days journey to the North. A little longer at... well, at your speed, if you'll forgive me for being blunt."

"I would be happy to get you back on the path."

As he ate, Kakashi noticed the change of her tone, but didn't pry.

So his estimate had been about right. As long as nothing completely out of the ordinary occurred on his way there, he could make the journey in a little less time than her approximation. To be safe, he would be taking things slower than usual, but even that wouldn't hinder him too much.

"Thank you. If you could just point me in the right direction, that would help tremendously."

Shizune was rinsing the shirt for the last time in the stream, blinking tiredly at the too-bright reflections off the water. It was about as clean as she was going to get it, but at least she could use a little magic to dry it before mending it and giving it back to him. Shizune heated the air and gently moved it through the fabric until it could be worn. It was harder hen she was tired, but it worked.

"I'd be happy to." But it's been nice to have new company for a little while. "Are you done eating, Sir Kakashi? I could get a little more, if you're still hungry." Shizune rustled as she got up and walked back, sure he'd be done by now. She settled kneeling under a tree with a little sigh, glad to be sitting, and pulled out needle and thread. "Just give me ten minutes or so, and I can show you the way," she said, looking over and smiling a little and rubbing her eyes before getting to work mending the slice she had made.

Having finished eating rather quickly, Kakashi was resting with his arms under his head when Shizune approached. "No, that was more than enough." His eye opened to follow her as she took a seat beneath the tree, and he watched her work for a while in silence.

"So tell me," he ventured at last, "if I may, what brings a woman such as yourself so deep into the forest?" He had suspected from the beginning that she could have been a traveler, and he was starting to return to that belief.

Shizune looked off a little to the side. "Well..." Princess Tsunade was a terrible gambler, but that was despite her ability to bluff. The skills were there, but the luck was not. The cards just never rewarded her talent in that area. Shizune had none of that talent, and never knew quite what to say. She generally left it to her mistress.

"We're... I mean I'm a traveler," the small glint in her eye and voice came back as she spared him a quick glance, "just one in a little better shape then you're in. I'm sort of... a permanent traveler. For now. Maybe some day things will change and I'll be able to stop traveling and settle down some place nice." She kept her eyes trained on the shirt, the small, even stitches gave her a comforting, if very small sense of control over this completely unexpected situation.

Almost halfway done. I wonder if he'll notice if I slow down just a little. She didn't notice that she already had. "Are you returning home, then, or visiting?" She paused, biting the edge of her lower lip. The princess didn't want to know, but she did. "Do you know what's it like there now?" She looked up, a raw need in her expression that was quickly muffled. Immediately, sheepishly, she looked back at the work in her lap and kept stitching. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't pester a healing man with so many questions."

Unfortunately for her, the questions just kept multiplying the longer she sat next to the mysterious masked knight who almost hadn't made it to Konoha.

Kakashi, of course, didn't miss her use of the word "we," but he didn't press. She had respected his privacy; he was inclined to do the same, although he probably wouldn't have bothered with questioning, anyway.

He hadn't risked asking something so personal without expecting a similar response, so he was prepared for her questions. "I'm a traveler myself, so I don't necessarily think of Konoha as being my home so much as it used to be. I just journey there for business these days." The longing and personal curiosity in her voice made him hesitate in answering the second thing she had asked him, made him think twice about giving the usual bland, carefully unbiased reply. He made no attempt to conceal his pause.

"Akatsuki continues to rule over the kingdom. Many of the people suffer, but that's how it's been for a long time...although you already know this." Kakashi sought out her gaze at this last comment, knowing he had hit the mark--or somewhere relatively close.

Shizune nodded, expecting the answer, but still unhappy about it. Konoha needed help, but there wasn't much she could do about it, and the people that could... No, thinking that is a trap I won't fall into. She has her reasons. She looked up, wistful again, about to ask if he missed having a home, but his look stopped her. He was really looking at her; like he cared what she thought. Maybe he just knew how she felt and was sympathetic. Whatever it was, it threw her a little, and she missed a stitch. She frowned as she bent her head to unpick and re-do it.

"I knew," she agreed softly. "I know. I wish I could do something, but..." But the princess couldn't get involved. But she wasn't fully trained. But she had other responsibilities. But she couldn't do anything alone. But she wanted, very badly, to help. "I wish I could at least go and see for myself. It's so rare to be even this close."

Suddenly she was looking at the completed job in her lap, blinking over a surprisingly strong surge of disappointment - which she hope she kept out of her cheerful smile when she looked back over at him. She felt a little dizzy. How funny. "Well, it looks like I've finished. You won't have to go do your business wearing a woman's shawl."

Kakashi dropped his eye as she spoke, familiar with her pain. As often as he avoided Konoha, associating it with naught more than danger for many years now, there was a part of him that still cared for it, that was a little satisfied every time he slipped past the gates. He couldn't say that he also wished he could do something--the rebellion was something, after all, however slow it was moving along--but he understood her perfectly. That feeling of standing by, of helplessness, was something that had haunted him ever since he had first learned of Akatsuki's idea of tyranny. He had gotten up to do something about it, abandoning his former life, status, and safety in the process, but that was a small price compared to watching his home deteriorate around him. And yet here Shizune was, bound to some purpose or another--a family, perhaps, judging from her previous speech--that kept her from taking any direct action, as well as any strength she lacked. She, like many, could only stand by and observe despite her wishes to help.

He climbed slowly to his feet, sliding the shawl off of his shoulders as he moved closer to where she sat. There, he crouched down beside her, offering it back. Kakashi had nothing to say to the smile he sensed wasn't entirely genuine, but as he kept his eye on the shawl, he said quietly,

"I know how you feel. But what you did for me today was more help than you may ever know, and not just to myself." His gaze flickered briefly to her face before returning. He could say no more than that. "So take heart--there is still good in the world, as well as good to be done. As for the former, I cannot help but think that people like you are the reason for it."

Shizune took the shawl, watching his hands, but she did finally look up once she was positive she wasn't going to do something so silly as tear up in front of a perfect stranger. She nodded and said, very quietly, "I hope we can make Konoha bright again. Somehow." She was being dismissed. She knew the finality in his tone. It was a goodbye. With a tiny sniffle, she rose to her feet to curtsy and give him back his shirt. She was tired, and it was so nice to sit, but it's the least she could to to repay his own courtesy.

"I'm glad I was here to help. I could put a pain block on you, if you wish. It will wear off without renewal, but it will last for at least several hours." Her vision seemed to narrow so she could only see her hands holding his shirt out, the ground beneath her tilting. It shouldn't be doing that, should it? "It may be welcome as you start out today. After some rest tonight... you should be... better..."

Maybe she had pushed herself a little too hard after all. She toppled forward.

He stood up when she did, hand extending to take the shirt and then waiting for her to release it; but then he noticed her lagging speech and looked quickly into her face--

--and in the next second opened his arms to catch her as she fainted. He stumbled slightly as he put a little too much weight on his knee, and then recovering straightened up, his ear lowered to her mouth to listen for her breath. It was light, but there and even. She probably wouldn't be out for too long.

Kakashi drew back, the sight of her face prompting a small smile. I guess that's to be expected.

Moving slow, he lowered the two of them to the ground and shifted her into the hold of his left arm. With his free hand he gathered up her shawl and folded it over a few times, laid it in the grass, and then gently set her down, taking care to steady her head as he rested it against the makeshift pillow. That done, he collapsed back against the tree, flinching when the motion made his head feel light. He shook it off and sat up long enough to don his shirt again, but didn't bother buttoning it back up. His hands felt heavy and the effort seemed too much trouble.

He cast another heavy glance at Shizune. Now seemed as good a time as ever.

Weary as he was, Kakashi probably wouldn't be able to sense anyone's approach until they were upon him, so lying down flat was not his first choice. But he had slept against trees enough times in his life to know the kinds of cricks they could put in one's back or neck or other various places, and he figured the situation called for cutting himself a little slack. Additionally, he was a light sleeper--when he wanted to be--so there wasn't too much of a difference.

His left hand resting less than a second away from the knife on his belt, he dropped onto his side about a foot from Shizune, facing the other direction, and fell asleep almost as quickly as she had collapsed moments before.