The Dream Devourer (Kakashi X OC)

Friend or Foe

Note: domestic/verbal abuse in this chapter

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Chiisai pulled her blanket around her, fighting the nausea leftover from the flicker technique Kakashi had used. There was no way in hell she was going to barf up such a delicious meal.

Poor Pakkun though, at the table by himself. Where did he poof to when Kakashi didn't need him? Even worse, Tori wasn't with her, and she had never left him in public before.

"You left my child," she said.

"What are you talking about?" Kakashi asked. He had stopped his pacing, and impatience shown in his eye.

She flung the blanket down and said, "Tori! You left my baby with Pakkun."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "He'll bring him back, don't worry. Besides," he continued, crossing his arms, "your cat is smarter than he looks."

"You still haven't told me what's wrong," she said. She rubbed her stomach, a poor attempt at calming her nausea.

He replied, "Danzo overheard us this morning. He sent one of his spies to question the man I arrested, the one who I thought assaulted you."

Her eyes widened, and no words left her mouth.

Kakashi added, "We have to assume he knows your identity, and that you can step into dreams. It's likely he's already accessed your hospital records as well. His men will be scouting the area."

"Danzo is slow to act," Chiisai said, fighting her own worry with logic. "He never makes a move unless the timing is perfect. He'll spy on me for awhile, until he has the information he needs. That will buy us time."

At least she hoped so.

Kakashi took the journals from his pouch and laid them on the table. He glanced at her thigh before saying, "We need to burn all evidence of your abilities. I left one with Lady Tsunade. Are the rest still in the cabinet?"

She nodded. Kakashi left and came back with them piled inside an aluminum bowl. He then went to the smoke detector and removed the batteries. Chiisai watched as he opened the windows before lighting a match.

Maybe she should tell him why she had them. That sometimes, when she woke up in the dead of the night, she went to the kitchen to make sure they were there. It had been her lifeline to reality for several years.

But she was past that now, and it needed to be done.

Flames erupted to life, and Chiisai covered her face with the blanket as the fire quickly consumed the books.

The smell of smoke filled the air, and Chiisai coughed. The throbbing in her head grew, and Chiisai shut her eyes, praying it would go away.

Gods, she was exhausted. So many things were happening, she could barely keep her head straight. Was the room spinning? Or was that the smoke?

"Chiisai?"

Right, she was still under the blanket.

Chiisai pulled the blanket off her head, and the movement strained against her stitches. "I'm suddenly very, very tired," she said. "Bone tired. Dead tired."

Kakashi shook his head and stared down at the smoking bowl. Charred paper and glowing embers sat at the bottom. "You shouldn't have gone out," he said. "I knew you'd give out like this."

"Hmm." Chiisai moved to her side and pressed her ear to the pillow. She curled her legs up and said, "You got in way over your head with me, huh."

"That's putting it lightly," he scoffed. "You're almost worse than Naruto."