The Dream Devourer (Kakashi X OC)

Balancing Act

Kakashi stood behind the door, hesitating after his third time knocking. In one hand was a glass of water. Her cat, Tori, sat beside Kakashi, meowed, and pawed at the door.

She hadn't responded to the noise, or the sound of his voice, and by her scent, she was still in there. Perhaps she had fallen asleep.

And though he was here to gather information, he did take his role as a medical aide seriously, and Chiisai was seriously injured.

"I'm coming in," he said.

The door creaked as he pushed it open, and Kakashi sighed with relief to see her asleep. The room was still dark, the pale flowered curtains closed. Tori meowed once more and trotted towards the bed.

Kakashi half expected her to have knocked herself out while changing. And apparently she hadn't even gotten that far, because those scrubs were still on her, and the dresser remained untouched.

He walked toward the nightstand and laid the filled glass down. He turned, and headed to the hall, only to hear her release a sharp exhale.

By the time he turned to face her, she was sitting up and staring at her hand.

He had looked at his own hand the same way before, expecting it to be coated in blood. Though he would never mention it out loud, he was curious as to what nightmares plagued her.

"Whoa there, easy," Kakashi said, raising his hands. "You've been out for a few minutes. You fell asleep."

Her breathing became labored, and Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows at the tears in her eyes. She hadn't heard him. Her fingers dug into the sheets, and her dark eyes stared straight ahead. Her chest rose and fell as if she had sprinted around the block. Tori rubbed against her knee, making a chirrup noise.

"Calm down," he said, his voice strong. He stepped towards her and added, "I need you to take deep breaths for me." He pressed his fingers into the sides of her face and tilted her head down. Her eyes were now looking at him, but her gaze was lost in whatever memory she was reliving.

It took a few minutes, but her pulse slowed. Her eyes locked on to his as tears slid down her face. There was bile staining her lower lip, and her breath was rancid, and her expression had his heart sinking for some reason.

Perhaps they were more similar than he realized.

Chiisai turned away from him and curled her body. Her voice tightened as she muttered, "I can't believe this is happening. This can't be real. This is impossible."

Kakashi sighed and sat on the bed. The mattress sunk under his weight as he replied, "Unfortunately, this situation is very real."

Her voice was a shell as she gradually replied, "You have no idea what's happening to me."

He leaned toward her and suggested, "Maybe you should tell me, then."

"No energy," she said in one haggard breath.

Kakashi sighed and stood, crossing his arms. "My contract with the hospital will keep me here until I deem you healthy. You should get used to the idea of me being around."

She didn't respond, and Kakashi headed towards the door. The woman was on the verge of a mental breakdown, all because of her seal weakening. That didn't bode well at all.

"You're not trash, you know," her voice was small, but the words were clearly heard. "Their deaths...It wasn't your fault."

Kakashi froze, his eye widening. He had wanted someone to say those words for such a long time. But in the end, he was a ninja, and he had been the leader of his team when his comrades had died. So it was on him.

Kakashi turned and studied her for a moment as she glanced at him. Memories flashed in his mind, of Obito's body, crushed under the weight of a boulder. Rin, her eyes wide, mouth open, and his own arm rammed through her chest.

His father. His comrades. His sensei. Dead dead dead.

Kakashi sighed and scratched his head, replying, "You need an ally, Chiisai, whether you like it or not. You should know from my past mistakes that doing everything on your own causes more problems than it's worth."

She opened her mouth, paused, and shut it. "You're a ninja, and I know you're a good one. You'll do anything to protect this village. But judging from the look in your eye, you're leaning towards threat when it comes to me."

"You failed to forget one thing," he said.

"And what's that?"

"I'll protect this village with my life, and that includes everyone in it." His voice was sure as he added, "It's true that you have invaluable information, and your abilities could turn the tide of the Leaf's current military strength. But if word spreads and your power was revealed, you'd be the enemies' number one target. And I won't let that happen. You can trust me on that."

She blinked up at him and replied, "But what if I am a threat? What if my seal breaks and I'm more trouble than I'm worth?"

Tori brushed his head against her arm, and she stroked his fur.

Kakashi shook his head. She sounded lost and confused, like she couldn't trust her own thoughts.

"I don't believe that will be the case," he said. "Now, try to rest."

She sighed as Kakashi left the room. He closed the door behind him and leaned his back against it. He was starting to think that Chiisai may not be a threat at all, but a victim.

He shook his head, remembering her words to him. She had told him that he wasn't trash, because she knew his past, his innermost thoughts and nightmares. Wouldn't she exploit that, if backed into a corner? She could have been in his mind all of those years ago, and he wouldn't have known it.

He remembered her journals, the way they had listed each ninja's darkest secret. Hidden weaknesses, family ties, jutsu capabilities- she wasn't naive or stupid. She may look innocent, but she had written everything down for a reason. And until he knew she wasn't a spy, that she wasn't a threat for sure,  there would be no room for empathy on his side. It was a balancing act, one that may be more difficult than he first anticipated.

So Kakashi strode into the kitchen, pulled out her journals, and began to read.