A Jinchūriki's Heart (Kakashi Hatake x OC)

Jinchūriki's Heart: Mysterious Woman

*Flashback*

She had been knocking for over an hour. Everything that had happened was already under investigation. Natsuki wasn't sure how much longer she could last with this war going on. She had to be strong, for him. She wished with her entire being that she could feel something, anything, but her entire soul was numb. First Obito, now Rin.

Sighing, Natsuki wraps her knuckles against the door once more. She knew he was home. There was no other place he would go, and she knew he would want to be alone.

"Kakashi...are you there?" she speaks softly at first, unsure if she even wanted to speak.

Not hearing anything she waits. Part of her wanted to leave, knowing very well that Kakashi wouldn't want to talk regardless of who came to see him. But she wanted to set her eyes on him, to make sure he wouldn't shut her out of his life completely. Her body ached as her energy was spent.

Natsuki sets her palm on the surface of the door, laying her forehead on the cold wood as well. Her ears perk up at the sound of a faucet running. She could hear the water flow and reached for the door knob. Pausing, she waits before shaking her head and forcing the door open.

her shoulders slump at the scene before her. It wasn't her best friend. It wasn't Kakashi, but a shell replacing him. Natsuki watches as he frantically runs the water over his palm, scrubbing the skin raw. Slowly she moves her feet, bringing her closer to him. She could hear the small sobs coming from him, the sounds making her heart drop.

Kakashi doesn't pay attention to her as she stops behind him. The skin of his hand was red, the water not doing a thing to wash away what he had done. Natsuki opens her mouth to speak but the lump in her throat stops her. She took a deep breath and set her hand on his shoulder.

"I-It won't wash off..."  Kakashi croaks.

They sound of defeat in his voice has tears spilling over, cascading down her cheeks and onto the floor. Letting out a shaky breath Natsuki steps forward. Easing her arms around Kakashi's waist, she leans her forehead onto the warmth of his back. She breathes in his scent and lets the sound of the running water lull her into a state of calm.

"It's just us now..." she mumbles.

It was then that Natsuki made a silent promise to herself. She would be there for him. She wouldn't die too soon.

*Flashback over*

The woman hadn't woken up once during the journey back to the village. Each of them taking shifts of watching over her whenever they had to take a break. Sakura had already done what she could to treat the woman's wounds.

Neither of them could forget the look of astonishment on Yamato's face when they had found her. It was unsure of what is to come of the mysterious woman.

Due to the extensive injuries and abuse to her body, the woman was admitted into the village hospital as soon as team Yamato returned. Notifying the hokage was the second step.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So your telling me Orochimaru just left her there?" Tsunade asks.

She examines the woman from head to toe. With the state her body was in she was surprised the young woman was even still alive. Years of broken spirit and anguish showed in the old fractures and scars that litter her being.

Yamato nods, "We were unsure as to why he would leave her there, unless he thought she was a lost cause. But I am sure none of us noticed the door when we entered the hide out."

Tsunade furrows her brows in confusion. There had to be an underlying scheme to all of this. Orochimaru would never just leave a potential successful experiment behind. Unless it was a failure. Setting her hand on the woman's forehead, she feels the warmth on her palm. The woman was feverish, a thin sheen of sweat glistening against her skin.

"You poor girl," Tsunade mumbles. Turning to Yamato again she interlaces her fingers together, the cogs turning inside her head. "You said you may know of who she is?"

Clearing his throat Yamato stares at the woman lying in the hospital bed. Her breathing was still ragged and shallow, her brows scrunched together as if she was in pain.

"Yes lady hokage, I believe she's Natsuki Ishido, she was apart of the Anbu Black Ops and on the same genin team as Kakashi. But she was said to have died on a mission gone wrong." Yamato explains.

"I see, I'll have Shizune look for the mission report from back then, for now we will monitor her condition and when she wakes we will set up an interrogation."

Yamato nods in confirmation. Tsunade excuses him to stand watch outside the hospital room and she gazes at the young woman in the bed. What could Orochimaru have possibly done to her? He had her all this time.

This woman could just save or end the hidden leaf village. But the war going on inside herself was what no one could comprehend.