Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Who knew... ❯ 19. DAISIES ( Chapter 19 )

19. DAISIES

 

Her head hurt.

Her limbs hurt.

Her bones hurt.

Her lungs hurt.

And she had a salty taste in her mouth. Something she knew well.

Blood.

 

She flashed her eyes open, but that didn't help much; her vision was blurry, and all that she could see was a dark figure leaning on her, dark bangs brushing against her cheek.

Her mouth and lips were dry, and in a feeble attempt to ask for water she parted her lips, but no words came out. She coughed, her throat hurting like she had flue. The figure stood up, and came back with a glass of water, which she immediately swallowed. ... She knew she was familiar with him, just that she couldn't recall at the moment who it was.

Oh, that felt better.

She closed her eyes, and reopened them quickly.

 

“I…Itachi!” she said, voice a bit raspy, while trying to get up. The boy, who had turned his back at her to put the now empty glass on a table, looked at her.

“Oh, good morning Asuka-chan. Do you feel better?” he asked.

The kunoichi nodded.

“I passed out, didn't I?” she asked, looking away.

“Mh.” was his reply.

“Damn” the girl clutched her fists. “Damn damn damn damn.” Why the hell was she supposed to be so weak?? She had passed out! Passed o-u-t! In the middle of a mission! Oh kami…Ren…Ren, he didn't pass out.

“Don't think badly of yourself because Ren didn't pass out” Itachi read her thoughts. She looked to see any trace of Sharingan in his eyes, but onyx orbs stared back at her, with a rather amused expression. A smirk painted itself on the boy's pale lips. “No, I don't need the Sharingan to know what you think. You are as readable as an open book, to me…” he said, patting her on the head.

“Anyway” Itachi went on “you passed out because you used a huge, and I do mean huge, amount of chakra. Almost three times as much as Ren did. That's why you passed out. And no, Asuka-chan, you are not weak. I couldn't like you, if you were.”

 

Asuka had not time enough nor to fully understand the Uchiha's words, neither to formulate an answer. The door was suddenly opened, with violence, and she found two pairs of arms around her neck.

“Asuka-chan!” Ren and Shisui screamed. “Asuka-chan, daijobu?” Ren looked worried; “'course I am fine, you knucklehead! I'm not that easy!” she said, forcing a smile.

 

Liar.

 

Her throat still hurt, as well as each and every bone, juncture, muscle of her poor body. The fact that she was to take the growing pill, or whatever that thing was called, didn't help. Her bones would hurt because they were growing… oh, she really didn't need that.

But her father was already in front of her, carrying a plate with a couple of pancakes and a glass of orange juice. And the bloody pill.

 

Itachi…Ren…Shisui…her father…well?

 

“Where is Kakashi-sempai?” she asked, sipping the orange juice and biting the pancake.

“He's resting, Acchan. He gave you some of his chakra, to help you restore. You'll need it at your fullest, tonight.” Shin said.

Asuka shot him a bad glare at the hated nickname, and after swallowing the rest of the pancake, she looked at the pill in her hand.

“Do I really have to…” she said, more to herself than to her father.

“Yes, Asuka. Take the pill, and then I'll let you go visit Kakashi-kun.”

She squeezed her eyes closed, and swallowed.

And there it was again, the sharp pain piercing her skull, forcing the kunoichi to close her eyes, as her vision went blurry. The pain in the head was followed by her arms, and legs, and her back. She gritted her teeth, trying not to scream or make any sound.

When she opened her eyes, she felt dizzy, and tired. Ok, that was regular. She had almost gotten used to it, swallowing the goddamn pill everyday.

 

Ren approached her, handing her a small bottle, with water-like liquid in it. “Asuka-chan, as your medic, I order you to take this. It will help you restore your chakra more rapidly. Take this right now, and come to me later, in the early afternoon, and you'll have to take another one. Am I understood?” he said, all serious. Asuka nodded. Ren always became deadly serious when it was about medicines. He was a medic nin, after all. She remembered when they were little children…the older Ren forcing to drink horrible this mixtures, who had this green-brownish colour…and she usually was so very sick after drinking them.

The boy's eyes shone when he was to take care of someone, or to heal, or to prepare medicines…

She smiled and hugged him tightly, softened by the thought of their childish games.

“I will, arigatou, Ren-kun.” She said, standing up. “OK!” she exclaimed, snapping her fingers. “Now, if you don't mind, I would like to take a shower and get changed. And I'm not into having an audience…so, get out.” Clothes in her arms, she headed to the bathroom, while her father and the three boys went out of the room.

 

She looked at her own reflection in the mirror. Mmm, awesome. She had thick dark circles around her eyes, and she looked pale. Looking at the clock hanging on the wall, she decided that she would rest in the sun for a little while. Her paleness disturbed her, even if she knew that after the bath her cheeks would be rosier than now. She just needed to recover. And rest, oh, rest.

 

* * *

Asuka took particular care in dressing up, before going to visit Kakashi. After all, she had last seen her crush `properly' when they had danced together…the girl found herself daydreaming for the hundredth time that morning.

She sighed.

`Asuka, you are a hopeless idiot.' She scolded her own self.

Brushing her long hair she looked at her figure in the mirror.

Aaah, that was so much better now. The death-pale of the morning had disappeared, and let room to her usual lightly tanned complexion. But she wasn't fully satisfied; she loved to see her tanned face smiling back at her in the mirror, and besides, when she was tanned, she liked herself more, and was more confident.

Hair let down, the kunoichi looked at her outfit. She was wearing a small black vest with a lace decoration on the plunging neckline (and here, she added a sigh, because even if she looked grown up her chest was as flat as usual), and a pair of white and tight short shorts. She added a pearl grey ribbon as a belt, checked her lip-gloss, and with a deep breath she went out of her room, heading to Kakashi's.

 

The few meters of corridor she walked took about five minutes; she kept on stopping, moving backwards, sighing, tormenting her hair…in her mind was just `calm down Asuka', repeating on and on.

 

Another deep breath, and she covered the remaining distance with a steady pace; she had made up her mind. He was Kakashi-sempai, dammit! Yeah, and that was the problem; he was her Kakashi-sempai.

 

The one she had a crush on ever since she saw him, in her early academy days, already a jounin with the young Yondaime.

 

The one she had gotten to know thanks to her efforts in training and improving her shinobi skills.

 

The one who was with her the first time she killed a man.

 

The one who was with her the first time she had gotten badly injured, and who had brought her at the hospital holding her in his arms, refusing to let her go even when the medics ordered him to leave.

 

The one that made her blush madly when they slept together for the first time, in the wood, during a mission, and who had hold her in the night to keep her warm. Little did he know that that night she hadn't slept at all.

 

Asuka smiled. Yes, it was just her Kakashi-sempai.

 

She lightly knocked on the door, and opened it when she heard him say `come in'.

 

In her hand was a small bouquet of daisies, which she had timidly asked one of the maids to gather for her.

 

“Hello, Kakashi sempai” she said, sitting beside him.

 

“Hello, Asuka-chan.” The young man was sitting in the balcony, enjoying the sun on his (masked) face. He was awesome, the light playing with his hair and making them shine like silver, or like snow. Back resting against a wall, he had his left knee bended, and the arm resting on it, casually.

 

A black t-shirt and black trousers made his skin look paler. Oh kami. He was awesome. He looked like a creature out of this world. He looked so mature…and she was so…oh. She was just a little girl, pretending to be a grown woman. Sigh. Life is unfair.

 

He was reading.

 

Oh, her sempai…he was really so mature…

 

Wait.

 

Kakashi.

 

Reading.

 

`MATURE MY ASS!!!!' her inner self screamed; `the hell was I thinking???' she shook her head, and handed him the daisies.

 

He put down the book, and took the bouquet. “Aww, Asuka-chan…you shouldn't have…” he said, mockingly. She moved, and quickly, and grabbed the daisies. “Ok, if you don't want them, I'll give them to someone else” and she paused, looking at him, eyes narrowed. “Itachi will appreciate them more than you”.

 

The elite jounin launched himself over her. `AH! I knew it!' she said to herself. “Give them to me, Asuka-chan…I was joking. I do appreciate them…please…” he said, losing all the seriousness and the composure he had when she entered, and looking like a very tall child.

 

Asuka moved her arm away, keeping the bouquet far from his reach. “Please what, sempai?” she teased.

 

“Please…please, give me the flowers.” He said, now moving from his sitting position. It was fun, Kakashi acting like that. To think that he could have stolen the bouquet in less than a second, if he wanted…ah, those boys.

 

Asuka feigned a surprised look. “And why should I give them to you?” she kept on teasing him.

“Because I have been enormously generous, giving you my chakra, because like that I saved you…because I want them for me. I don't want you to give them to that brat.” he said, sitting back, arms crossed and an embarrassed look in his eye.

 

Asuka smiled warmly. “Awww, my, Kakashi-sempai…you jealous??” she threw her arms around his neck, and let the flowers fall in his lap.

 

The man growled.

 

She pecked him on the masked cheek, and sat in the sun in front of him, arms stretched and eyes closed.

 

Kakashi sighed. This girl was driving him mad.

 

He looked at this young woman, sun on her tanned skin, rosy cheeks and kissable lips. `Bad, bad thoughts, Kakashi' he thought.

 

She moved a hand, and played with a glossy lock of her hair.

 

He wanted her.

 

Shit.

 

The jounin was beginning to be disgusted by himself. `Kakashi Kakashi Kakashi! Shit! She is just thirteen!!! I don't care if she looks like a beautiful, desirable grown up woman now…I don't care if she is just the perfect girl, I don't care, I don't, I can't!!! Oooh, when did I become a pedophile???'

 

“Kakashi-sempai? Daijobu?” she asked, her big, chocolate eyes looking at him.

 

“NO!” he growled. Asuka was taken aback by his outburst. Did she do something wrong?

“Sorry, Asuka-chan. I didn't mean to scream. It's just that I was thinking about a problem I have…”

Asuka placed her hand on his cheek.

“A problem? Kakashi-sempai, you know you can tell me everything…” `Don't…please don't look at me with those eyes…' the man thought, looking away. `How the hell am I supposed to tell you that my problem is you?'

 

He smiled.

 

“Don't worry, Asuka-chan. I'm just worried about the mission…and tomorrow night it will all be over.” He said, moving her hand away from his cheek, though missing the warm touch.

 

She nodded.

 

Tomorrow night, it would all be over.