A Glass Of Crimson Souls

22) the turning pages

Kakashi should have known from the day Chiaki Miho returned to Konoha, covered in her own blood, on the brink of death, that everything about her return was just a little too perfect. She was startlingly weak, very close to unconsciousness; indeed she passed out the moment she entered Konoha's front gates. She was detained by the jounin on watch—not that there had been much to detain since she had blacked out—but a voice in the back of Kakashi's head could not help but wonder how exactly she had traveled so far with such wounds and managed to survive. Perseverance of the soul and the will for life would have been sufficient answers for any shinobi other than Chiaki Miho, whom Kakashi knew held no particular regards for life or its insignificant merits. Either something serious drove Miho to survive and return to Konoha—therefore a goal that Kakashi was curious to unearth—or something about Miho's arrival had been premeditated.

However, this tiny nagging voice, as well as any additional cautionary worries about where Miho's allegiance lied took a seat far, far in the back of Kakashi's mental car. He could not deny the relief he felt when he saw her, albeit barely alive. He could not deny the guilt that had haunted him for the weeks following the encounter with Miho and Uchiha Itachi; he cursed his pessimistic imagination as he envisaged the treatment that Miho was clearly suffering at the hands of Akatsuki, and blamed himself for not being able to defeat Uchiha Itachi and bring Miho home. These thoughts would often catalyze a series of regrets not always limited to Miho, but then Kakashi would have to remind himself that dwelling in the past was not healthy, and it was time to move on.

Miho woke up five days after her arrival. During those five days, Kakashi had informed the Hokage of everything regarding Chiaki Miho, from the very beginning of his and Miho's relationship to her peculiar history with Uchiha Itachi, and finally to her unfortunate and surely unwanted associations with Orochimaru and Akatsuki. He was helped with some input from Sakura, though Sakura held more reservations about Miho than he did. She pointedly reminded Kakashi that Miho had not behaved like an innocent prisoner when she had knocked out Shikamaru and Chouji, to which Kakashi answered that the suspicions were well grounded, but perhaps not entirely true. Tsunade did not disregard Sakura's wary hesitation, but Kakashi could tell that the Godaime was successfully intrigued, though for different reasons entirely.

"The last member of the Saruji clan…" mused Tsunade to Kakashi when Sakura was on duty in the hospital.

"I figured this would be a point of interest for you," said Kakashi.

"Well, I can't say I'm not fascinated by the idea of a cure-all," the Godaime said wryly.

"Of course, but a reminder…"

"Yes, of course. I'm well aware of its effects on the user's body. I'm not about to do what Orochimaru did and bleed her dry."

"So what will you do with her?" he asked, his tone a sad attempt at casual.

Tsunade surveyed him seriously. "I'll be blunt with you, Kakashi. Several people have mentioned that you're rather biased when it comes to Chiaki Miho."

"I am," admitted Kakashi. "I harbor kind feelings for her."

"And why is that?" said Tsunade suspiciously. "Are you in love with her?"

"No," he answered easily. "It is nothing like that. I cherish the memories I have with her. I have been fond of her since she was young."

"She helped Orochimaru into the village so he could destroy half of it," said Tsunade, her eyes flashing at the mention of her old teammate. "Not everyone has childhood memories with her, and almost no one else views her so favorably, Kakashi. Even Sakura, who is one of the most amiable people I know, is cautious around her."