Here To Stay

Treacherous Actions

       It was two days later when I was finally released from the hospital. I spent most of my time staring out a window.

    The doctor said my back was basically fucked. They were able to stop the spinal swelling and heal the damage, but if I got hurt again before being completely healed there was a chance of zero recovery.

    Apparently it was damaged pretty badly in the Forest of Death, but the fight with that boy almost left me paralized.

    The Third Hokage came to see me and got an earful from the nurse that was with me. Apparently they were supposed to have called the fight before more damage to my back could be done, but I was grateful they didn’t.

    The nurse was also really mad about another patient that was also severely damaged in the preliminary. 

   When the others came to see me something was different. Sasuke seemed darker. It set me on edge. Sakura was stronger, a confidence set inside her and she seemed to be training harder. Naruto was the same as always, bright and bubbly.

    I had a lot of time to think when I was stuck in that room. About Naruto, Sasuke, the next exam. About Orochimaru, the Nine Tails, and the mark they left on Sasuke.

     I spent a lot of time thinking about Kakashi. I hadn’t seen him since we kissed when I first woke up. It felt like a breakthrough at first but after days of not seeing him I grew worried.

    It was always one step forward and two steps back with him. 

     I sighed as Naruto and I turned a familiar corner.

   When I first got out I tried to find him, but found nothing.

    I gave up and decided to research the Nine Tails. That came up useless too.

    Everything I could find always said the same stuff. Nothing about Nine Tail chakra containment. It didn’t make any sense.

    When I asked the librarian, a sweet old woman who’s cheeks held too much blush and kind eyes softened with wrinkles, she beat around the bush.

    She didn’t give me an answer, though she clearly knew something. 

    I had asked a few other adults that I knew, but they all dodged. Some kindly, and others not. The unkind ones would go on a spiel about demon brats and laws.

    I knew they meant Naruto, multiple moments have proven that name is resigned for Naruto alone.

   Which meant the stupid law that kept me from knowing why Naruto was hated had something to do with the Nine Tails.

   But what I couldn’t seem to figure out.

   Somehow the Nine Tails chakra was inside of him, the adults all knew it and hated him because of it. But how did it get there? Why him? It didn’t make sense! 

    “Oi! Kakashi you should take care of your students more!I heard that girl was almost paralized!”

    I whipped my head in the direction of the voice. Gai-Sensei was roughly patting Kakashi on the back sympathetically.

   They were seated in a restaurant with the rest of the Genin instructors. Including Inko. I didn’t know the names of most of them. But I did recognize their faces.

    I saw Shikamaru’s and Hinata’s Jonin Sensei’s. Ibiki was there too.

   I frowned as Anko clung to Kakashi’s arm and pressed her breast to his bicep, rubbing her cheek onto his shoulder.