Child of the Moon

Things almost lost

She heard the thoughts around her, depressed and anxious. Naruto was depressed about how Zabuza and Haku died, even though they'd been enemies, and anxious about when she was going to wake up. Sakura was uncertain about the fate of shinobi, even after Naruto's determined admission to finding his own ninja way. Sasuke was depressed about his progress.

Kakashi was remembering old hurts.

It also seemed like the bridge was done, and they were to be heading home soon but weren't sure about how to get her home in her current state. Sounded like she'd been unconscious for a few days at this point.

"Geez, the atmosphere is so depressing," she groaned aloud, as pain throbbed all over her. "I feel like death."

"SIS!" Naruto screamed, immediately throwing his arms around her and squeezing. She yelped as he excitedly welcomed her back to the land of consciousness.

"Naruto, I think you're hurting her," Kakashi said, gently prying the boy off, as Sakura excitedly called out her name too. Sasuke's relief was more internal, but not unnoticed.

"You had us all worried there," Kakashi scolded.

"Remember that time when you overused your Sharingan?"

"That's not going to work this time."

"Screw you, that was hilarious," Tsukiko attempted to sit up, cursing when pain lanced through her shoulder. "What the hell happened?"

"You really don't remember anything?" Kakashi questioned.

"Um... I remember almost losing my arm," she said, reaching over with her good arm to touch her shoulder, only to blink at the bandaged limb. "Things past that are... Hazy."

Kakashi sighed and shook his head. "It's not important. You're alive, the mission is a success, and we can all go home."

Tsukiko stared at him, as he walked out of the room.

"I scared him..." she thought to herself. "Whatever I did, it scared him bad..."

She focused inward, her eyes drifting closed while Naruto and Sakura chattered away enthusiastically about how the mission was done and they couldn't wait to get home and was she able to move or should they wait a little longer. She focused on the presence deep inside her, trying to draw her out.

Yes?

"What did you do?"

A red-eyed woman appeared before Tsukiko in the hidden chambers inside her mind. She sighed heavily. "Always so suspicious. You realise his fear is not from what 'we' did, but what it almost cost him, right?"

"What?"

She smirked, before disappearing into the recesses of Tsukiko's mind once more.

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Eventually, it was decided, despite Tsukiko being too weak to move on her own, that they would leave that day, since the sooner they got home the better. In that case, Naruto and Sasuke were to carry Kakashi and Tsukiko's things, while Kakashi carried her.

Much to Tsukiko's mild embarrassment.

"Think of it as repaying you for carrying me here after I passed out," Kakashi shrugged.

"That's not the same at all, I had help!"

"What's the big deal, this isn't exactly the first time I've had to carry you anywhere," Kakashi sighed.

There was a pause before Kakashi snickered.

"What?"

"Remember how you were laughing about having to carry me back to the village before this all started?"

"You shush your face," she snapped.

She eventually accepted defeat and was lifted onto Kakashi's back and carried out the little house. She rested her head tiredly on his shoulder, as they stood at the bridge saying their farewells to the village.

"We could never have finished the bridge without you," Tazuna said. "I can't tell you how much we're going to miss you."

"Do be careful!" Tsunami teased, giving Tsukiko and Kakashi a meaningful look since it was the two of them that had spent the most time bedridden.

"Thank you, for everything," Kakashi said, Tsukiko's eyes drifting closed.

"So warm..."

"Now, now!" Naruto said cheerily. "Don't get all choked up. We'll come back and visit real soon! Once sis is feeling all better, believe it!"

Tsukiko hummed in agreement, her eyes already closed.

"You swear you will?" Inari's voice was all wobbly. Tsukiko was unaware of his thoughts, however, as she had closed off her unconscious use of telepathy in favour of healing quicker.

Not that it really made a difference, but it meant less chakra being diverted from her injuries.

"Of course," Naruto said, his own voice thick with emotion. "You know Inari, it's ok to cry if you want, there's nothing wrong with that. Go for it!"

"Who says I'm gonna cry!" he snapped back. "Anyway, if there's nothing wrong with it, then why don't you go on and cry?"

"No, you first," Naruto answered, clearly sounding like he was holding back tears.

You realise that his fear doesn't come from what 'we' did but from what it almost cost him, right?

Tsukiko realised then what the other woman was trying to tell her.

Hearing Naruto and this boy trying to goad the other into crying...

A tear slid from one of her closed eyes. "Naruto..." she breathed. The cost... a comrade.

"Hmm?" Kakashi shifted slightly, to try to look at the half-asleep kunoichi, but could only see the top of her head.

"Forget it!" Naruto eventually snapped, the two both bursting into tears there.

As they were crossing, Tsukiko's arms tightened slightly around Kakashi's shoulders.

"Kakashi... sorry," she murmured, before finally drifting off to sleep.