An antidote is found within the next few hours after Anbu returns with their find; a short little runt from Okigawa's personal guard who has no qualms whatsoever with squealing to Ibiki about the toxin's origins, characteristics, and most importantly, its cure. Kakashi Hatake himself never would have guessed that the answer to all of his problems lay within the makeup of a tiny little plant that grew on the mountaintops of Hidden Leaf. To think; the antidote had been right under their noses. So close, yet so far.
He is administered the antidote immediately, and within a few hours, he can wiggle his toes and fingers. The process is harrowing, though; it feels as though a thousand tiny pins and needles are gently pressing into all of his nerves, and he wants to move but can't. It damn near tickles, but good; this meant he was gaining his strength back. The door to his hospital room opens and Tsunade walks in, clipboard and pen in hand.
"Well, Kakashi. You're lucky to be alive."
He looks sarcastically at the ceiling. "Oh, am I? I hadn't noticed."
The Goddaime is all business as she clicks her pen and readies her hand above her paper. "Yes. That toxin was deadly. Slow-moving, I'll admit, but if we hadn't found the antidote, your respiratory system would have been the next thing to go. It paralyzes its victims first, then slowly eats into your nervous system and lungs. Most people last around five days before their muscles start to deteriorate."
Five. It had been day four for him. So close. So close to becoming a cripple, or a corpse. And yet it's all he can do to balance out his situation with humor.
"Joy."
Tsunade's pen smacks hard against her clipboard, and her nostrils flare in irritation. "You could have died, Kakashi. What would you have done if that had happened?"
Nothing, I'd be dead, he wants to say, but knows better than to anger the monstrously powerful medic nin.
"...Sakura would never have forgiven herself."
This sobers him up greatly, and he turns his head to face the hokage head on.
Silence, quiet stares. Then-
SLAP!
"Ow!"
"Do you have any idea how much you mean to her, you idiot?! What the hell is wrong with you, you could've gotten yourself killed!"
She reels her arm back and he thinks she's going to hit him again, but instead she lowers her hand and takes a deep breath to calm herself.
"You're like a father to her, Kakashi. Naruto, Sasuke...her teammates have both left her. Sasuke to chase after his revenge, and Naruto to chase after Sasuke...you're all she has left, Kakashi."
Father. The word tastes bitter in his mouth, and it isn't even him that's said it. His gaze hardens and he stares off into space. He feels foolish. How silly of him to think that Tsunade had hinted at anything other than paternal connection between Sakura and himself.
"Where is she?"
He was curious. He'd have thought she would have been the first person to come see him once he'd been given the antidote.
"Sakura got called away on a mission. But I did tell her you were going to be okay. She wanted me to give you this."
She takes a book out from her robe and hands it to the copy nin, who accepts it with a puzzled brow.
"For your recovery." Tsunade winks, and jots down something on her clipboard. "Glad to have you back, Kakashi." Is all she says before exiting the room and shutting the door.
Kakashi stares at the cover; an illustration of a woman shown from the neck down wearing a blue silk robe, with a beautiful sunset lake and birds in the background.
He reads the title:
Birds of Thorn.
He doesn't understand. She knows he only reads Icha-Icha. He doesn't like anything else.
Still, he opens the cover, and a bright green note falls out. He picks it up.
Glad you're feeling better! Thought you'd like to read some REAL romance while you're in recovery ;P
She doesn't sign it, he notices. Doesn't bother. Probably because she already knows he's going to know who it's from. Because who else would give Kakashi Hatake a romance novel with actual substance?
Briefly, he flips through it, lets the words fly past his vision, looks at the page count. 692. Whew. Way thicker than he was used to. But he was a fast reader, and who knew how long they'd want to keep him in here for observation?
He settles into his bed and gets comfortable - as comfortable as he can - and turns to the first page.
Mitsuki Nakamura is the main character, but the only face he can picture is Sakura Haruno. He has no idea how much this book will end up changing his life.
—
Author's note: Birds of Thorn is actually a play on The Thorn Birds, a very tragic romance novel between a young woman and a priest who is 19 years older than her. It's so sad but also so so good. If you ever think about giving it a try, it feels like you're actually reading about someone's life, it's THAT detailed. Starting is slow but if you can make it past the main character's childhood, it really pulls you in and you can't stop reading (at least I couldn't, and I hate super thick books).
More parallels will be drawn between this book and Kakashi and Sakura's relationship throughout the next few chapters, I think, so stay tuned and sorry for the long wait on the update :)
