Love Triangle: Kakashi vs. Genma

74 | Lashing Out

"What? You're just going to leave?" Genma asked, incredulous.

[Y/N] still hadn't regained consciousness. Tsunade had done everything she could, healing her wounds and transfusing blood to her as quickly as possible. They found it strange that of all of her wounds, none of them were vital spots. Whoever [Y/N] had been fighting was either a terrible aim, or they hadn't been trying to kill her at all. Either way, she wasn't going to die. She just needed time to recover.

"It's just for this one mission. Those kids are going to get themselves killed. It's better they have someone watching out for them. For her, I'll go. I'll help avenge Asuma."

Kakashi leaned against the window sill, staring outside. The early rays of morning sunlight were just starting to peek over the hilltops. Genma stared at Kakashi's back. He sat in a hospital chair next to [Y/N]'s bed. The two may not particularly like each other, but they'd certainly managed to get along in light of everything. [Y/N] was their priority. They hadn't left her room all night, listening intently to the beeping on her heart monitor.

"You don't even know if they're going." Genma said finally, sitting back in his chair and stretching.

"They're going. If I know anything, it's that they're definitely going, within the hour."

"And if she wakes up while you're gone?"

"Then I trust you'll be here for her." Kakashi sighed, turning around to face Genma. "And don't let me fool you, I'm not the slightest bit happy about that possibility. But I refuse to stand by and let those kids die."

Kakashi approached her bedside, reaching out to run his fingers over her hair. "Do you think she'll forgive any of us if she wakes up and finds out that no one tried to avenge her brother? Or worse, that we let Asuma's squad try and no one backed them up? She's as close to them as Asuma was."

"Right. If they die too..." Genma sighed and sat up, resting his arms on his knees.

"They won't die."

Both men jumped at the sound of [Y/N]'s voice, low and quiet. Kakashi took one off her hands and Genma wrapped his fingers around her other gently. "What, baby?"

"If Shikamaru is in charge, no one will die... At least, no one else." She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the bright hospital lights. "You'd better make sure of that, Kakashi."

"Of course."

No one spoke for a little while and [Y/N] moved to sit upright. She grimaced and Genma started to help her, but the look she gave him made him sit back down. "I can do it."

"Don't you dare pull those stitches." Tsunade said from the door, leaning against the frame. She hadn't made a sound coming in, stopping by to check on her.

"Oh hell, Tsunade, they're just stitches." [Y/N] said back, a little hatefully. All of her muscles were sore, but she was otherwise fine (at least in her opinion). She flipped the blankets off of her and turned to face the side of the bed. The second her feet hit the floor, all three of the others in the room were on her, trying to push her back to the bed gently.

"Hey, hey, hey! Get off! I'm fine!" [Y/N] called, struggling against them. They were relentless, still trying to coerce her back in bed. "Look, I'm going to get up anyway. It might as well be while you're all here."

The three of them exchanged looks. Tsunade rolled her eyes and nodded, signaling for Kakashi and Genma to let go of her too. When they all stepped back, she huffed and put her feet back on the ground. "Damn, you all. Just back up."

[Y/N] stood up and then groaned when she realized that she had wires coming from her every which way. This is why she hated coming to the hospital. She rolled her eyes and reached up, tugging off all the wires, making the heart monitor cry out.

She had just reached for the IV in her arm when a nurse came running in. "Lady Sarutobi! No! What are you—Oh."

The nurse stood in the doorway, slightly embarrassed at her outburst. "I... Forgive me, Lady Hokage. I just heard the beeping."

Tsunade nodded. "Yes. You can go now. We're here."

The nurse nodded and quickly retreated. Tsunade moved to close the door again while [Y/N] finished yanking the IV out of her arm. It started bleeding but she slapped some of the gauze from her bedside table over it and taped it down.

"I wish you wouldn't do that. It's so traumatic to the veins." Tsunade said, watching her warily.

"Do you really wanna talk about trauma right now?" [Y/N] spat. She was in no mood for this. She didn't want to see anyone, let alone be lectured. Instead she turned and made her way to the bag on the nightstand.

"[Y/N], I'm sorry that your mission went... awry."

[Y/N], who had been sifting through the clothes someone had dropped off for her, turned on Tsunade abruptly. "My mission?! My mission went awry?! What about my brother's mission?! If anything went wrong, don't you think it's that? Asuma is dead!"

For once, Tsunade stood in silence and allowed her to yell. She let [Y/N] speak her mind, regardless of the lack of respect or formality. And she took it all without speaking back or trying to stop her. Somehow, Tsunade worked out that she deserved to be yelled at.

[Y/N] didn't realize she'd been yelling. She didn't realize that she had tears flowing freely down her face, or that she had sparks of lightning flicking between her fingers.

However, Kakashi noticed. [Y/N] was so angry that she was letting her chakra escape as lightning through her fingertips. She wasn't even in tune with her body enough to see it herself. Kakashi took off one of his gloves, moving closer to her and lacing his bare hand with hers. The lightning didn't hurt him, as he was used to the feeling. He merely absorbed it.

Genma watched too, clenching his jaw. He hated that Kakashi could be there for her like that. Genma himself was not a lightning user. He couldn't have helped her and he hated knowing it. He was useless. But then, her next move made him glad that he'd stayed put.

She turned on Kakashi next, ripping her hand from him. "I'm fine! I don't need your help! Leave me alone!" She yelled at him, lifting her arms and pushing him back. Kakashi just let her. He knew she was in a dark place now, as he'd been there so many times before. She had all of this anger inside her right now and she needed an outlet. If it helped her recover, he was more than happy to serve as that outlet.

[Y/N] stepped forward and pushed Kakashi again. And again. And again, until his back hit the wall. When she pushed him again and he didn't move, she realized that she'd attacked him unnecessarily. She didn't need to be here right now. She didn't need to see anyone.

"I'm leaving. I'm leaving now." [Y/N] said, quickly turning and grabbing some clothes and going to the bathroom. She only realized she was crying when her vision was too blurry to actually change. She fell back against the door and slid down it, sitting on the floor.

"Asuma..." She whispered between sobs. "What the hell do I do now?"