BONDS • k. hatake

•15•

*WARNING: CONTAINS SUBJECTS ABOUT RAPE. TRIGGER WARNINGS!*

As months went by, I became quieter and colder towards everyone around me.

I would flinch when someone would touch me or when they would start my medications.

But I didn't fight but like I used to.

No one came to visit me, and I guess I liked it that way.

I would see my old friends pass by when holding a new prisoner, they would look at me angrily and sneer before they went out of my sight.

------

I gritted my teeth as another whip cake in contact with my back.

"Are you going to give us anything else?" He sneered. I stayed quiet. He laughed as he switched weapons.

He gashed marks up and down my back. My arms and legs with a kunai.

"Still nothing huh?" He walked over so that I could see him.

"You know, you're still quite beautiful considering how much I hurt you.." his finger ran down my cheek.

"How about some fun? Before you pass out of pain?" He started tearing off the remainder of my clothes and his other than his mask.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as he kissed my neck and his hand touching my chest.

Silent tears made its way down my face as he touched me.

Moments later, I felt him being pulled off of me and I saw him getting beat up.

"You bastard." Kakashi spat as he hit him until he was unconscious. His eyes softened as he saw my tired state.

Tears started welling up in my eyes as he untied me. He knelt in front of me, untying my legs.

A sob escaped my lips as I wrapped my bloodied and sore arms around him. I felt him sigh as I buried my head in the crook of my neck.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered. My muffled sobs against his jounin jacket. He lifted me up and wrapped a towel around me, which turned red with my blood right away. He took off his vest, wrapping it around my shivering body.

"W-Why does everyone hurt m-me..?" I cried, his hands rested gently on my back, carful of the injuries that laid there.

"W-Why does e-everyone a-abandon me..?"

"I'm so sorry, love." He whispered using one of my old nicknames. He carried me out the door and held the man by his collar and teleported to the Hokage's office.

------

Kakashi POV

I threw the man on the floor, waking him up. Tsunade looked up at me with anger but not as much as there was in my eyes.

"What is the meaning of this, Hatake?!" She yelled.

"Maybe you should look into who of your men are trustworthy." I growled, holding Akiara's unconscious body close to mine.

"They all are! And- WHO IS THAT?!"

"I walked in on this bastard torturing and fucking raping her! You personally ordered them to stop everything! So why was she beaten to a pulp and why was she being tortured like that?!" I yelled, not caring she could kill me at any moment.

"AKIARA-SENSEI IS BEING RAPED?! WHATS THAT?!" Naruto barged in with Sakura with pained expressions on their faces.

Tsunade didn't bother to speak, to surprised to say anything.

"So.. that's Akiara? A-And that's her, in a towel, soaked in her blood?"

"Yes."

The man sitting on the door, rubbing his jaw. Naruto walked up with a mad expression and gripped him by the collar.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" He growled. "Why would you hurt her, out of everyone, why her?!"

"Naruto!" Sakura chimed in before he choked him to death. He glared at him before slamming him down on the floor.

"Is she alright?" Naruto asked.

"She's healing. If not for her powers, she'd be dead." Kakashi said. "I'm taking her back to my apartment. I don't think she's in the state to see anyone else." No one stopped me as I walked out of the room and teleported back to my apartment.

------

I woke up in a comfortable bed and clothes. I felt my eyes struggle to open, I groaned and tried moving my body.

It hurt. It ached and stung and hurt. I tried sitting up but screamed in pain.

I heard footsteps running and then I saw Kakashi's unmasked face and worried eyes peering down at me.

"W-What happened?" I asked my former lover.

"I walked in on you getting.. tortured and someone was taking advantage of you. I got you out of there and brought you here." I turned my head away.

"Oh." I whispered, tears brimming my eyes

"Are you okay? I tried to heal you as much as possible. Your injuries are.. severe."

"I'll heal myself soon." I said, I faced him. "Thank you, kakashi."

He hesitantly placed a kiss on my forehead.

"You're so strong. You don't deserve any of this." He mumbled.

"The world isn't fair." I smiled weakly. "You of all people know that."

"All too well." He whispered.

"Do...do I have to go back to my cell?" I asked.

"Not if I can stop it." He said, angry. My eyes softened.

"How can you... how can you defend me after everything I've done? Everything I've put you through? Put everyone through?" My voice shaky as I looked up at him. The man I missed for so long.

"Because.. the things you did, the things that you were put through was the fault of everyone around you. We didn't notice you cracking slowly, we didn't notice that most of the smiles you wore were forced, we didn't notice how you carried everyone's problems on your shoulders and ignoring your own. We should've noticed how you were feeling because you always noticed when it was someone else." He held my hand, I smiled. For the first time in years, I smiled a genuine smile at him.

"This might be selfish but.. I love you. I've loved you for the years I left, I don't think I'll ever stop loving you." I whispered. A smile appeared on his lips, he kissed my cheek.

"I love you too, and I swear I help you get better and don't deny it. You need help,"

"I won't. Thank you." I said tiredly.