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Kakashi swept his gaze over the downed nin, picking out the two that were still breathing and moving towards the nearer of them. “Sakura, would you start on collecting anything useful off them?” he suggested as he efficiently removed weaponry and bound the unconscious nin.
“Of course, sensei.” Sakura agreed promptly, and Kakashi frowned, looking up at her.
“Sakura?” Kakashi called gently. Her voice had not been quite right, and her movements now were slow, even as she went through the motions of prioritising and collecting gear and other useful oddments. “You’re not injured, are you?”
Sakura looked up at him with a bright smile. “No, Kakashi-sensei.” she promised, and Kakashi hummed dubiously, inclining his head. He moved to the other disabled enemy nin and repeated the procedure, then dumped the pair in a heap together and went to his pup.
“Sakura.” Kakashi brushed the backs of his fingers over her arm as he reached her. She straightened, pouch in hand, then wobbled, and he caught hold of her by the arm instead. Her face was flushed and her eyes glassy, and Kakashi’s heart clenched. “Sakura, are you sure you are not injured?” he asked, brushing her hair off her brow; it was damp with sweat, though the battle had been short and not terribly wearing.
“I- I’m not hurt. Promise, sensei.” Sakura said sincerely, nodding.
“Did you breathe anything strange?” Kakashi asked, carefully assessing her appearance, though he had seen none of the ninja they’d just dispatched using anything that might have been poison, much less something so advanced as an airborne variety.
“No, sensei.” Sakura said, then blinked, swaying a little and looking up at him. “What?”
Kakashi lifted his arm, turning it to rest his inner forearm against her brow. It was warmer than it should have been. Kakashi thought of the week they had spent tracking this group, sodden through to their skin most of the time, barely able to get half dry in between, chilled and smotheringly overheated by turns. He drew his pup in close, sighing.
Sakura sighed, slumping against his chest, fingers curling into his vest. Kakashi propped his chin atop her head, one hand smoothing over her back. “You’re sick.” He glanced at the bound nin awaiting attention, then the rest of the group already taken down.
“I’m fine.” Sakura said, though it would have been less than convincing even if she hadn’t half mumbled it directly into his vest.
Kakashi growled softly, and Sakura sighed, head drooping a little further.
“I don’t feel great.” Sakura admitted quietly, and Kakashi hummed, nudging his cheek against the top of her head.
Kakashi held her for another few moments, then guided her across the clearing. “Sit; I’ll finish here and then we’ll head back to the nearest town.”
Sakura sank down on the smooth-topped rock he’d brought her to, swayed a little, then steadied, nodding vaguely. Kakashi rested a hand on her shoulder for a moment, making sure she wasn’t going to slip, then moved away to finish dealing with their targets.
It took longer than Kakashi would have liked, but the enemy nin were squared away - the information they’d been sent out on this mission for, secondarily, safely in his head - and his student was still on her feet . . . if only just. Kakashi shepherded her carefully into an inn and almost as swiftly up to a room, where he nudged her into a chair before she could try to help with anything. Kakashi was already carrying her pack himself.
“Just stay there.” Kakashi ordered, squeezing her shoulder, then testing the feel of her brow with his inner forearm again. He winced.
Kakashi had set up traps in so many rented or borrowed rooms over the years that he hardly had to think as he worked; his mind was free to worry over his pup’s illness instead. Sakura remained where he had put her, slumped in the chair, one hand having slipped off the arm to hang beside it, fingers dangling.
She was conscious, and tracking his movements without apparent difficulty, but she looked miserable, flushed and sweaty and sliding down bonelessly in the chair in a way that looked uncomfortable.
The room rather more secure with the traps and alarms in place, their belongings dumped off on the floor near one wall for the moment, Kakashi returned to his pup. “Sakura?”
Sakura sighed, then hummed, meeting his gaze.
“Will you be all right to take a bath?” Kakashi asked, and she frowned slightly. He wouldn’t suggest it with her in such a state, but she was not only wet already but dirty, and a bath would no doubt warm her up more thoroughly, which she needed despite her fever.
“Kakashi-sensei?” Sakura asked, looking confused.
Kakashi squeezed her shoulders. “If I draw you a bath,” he said patiently, “will you be safe to use it, or do you need to sleep first?”
“Oh, a bath. . .” Sakura said wistfully. Another reason Kakashi suggested it; Sakura despised being dirty if it could be helped, and he knew a bath would make her feel better even with her being ill. Sakura nodded. “I’ll be all right.”
Kakashi hummed, watching her closely for a moment, then nodded and rose, leaving her where she was to step into the next room and run the bath for her. He would not normally have bothered to rent a room with an adjoining personal bath, but if Sakura was ill. . . He didn’t want her wandering down the corridor and back, or worse, down the stairs.
Kakashi left a towel and one of the inn’s yukata on the counter, then went to fetch his pup, tugging her sandals off before giving her a hand up and guiding her into the bathroom.
“I’ll be fine.” Sakura promised again as she closed the door, and Kakashi grumbled, but nodded.
Sakura lingered in the bath, but Kakashi could hear the soft splashes and occasional absent-minded murmur through the closed door and didn’t worry too much. She was steady on her feet when she finally emerged, but clearly fading fast, and Kakashi shooed her directly into the bed. She barely touched her dinner, falling asleep where she sat, and Kakashi swallowed his worry and nudged her awake enough to lie down, tucking her in with a brush of his palm over her brow. It seemed like she had gotten much sicker, very quickly.
Sakura whined softly, puppyish and tiny. Kakashi rumbled soothingly, brushing his fingers over her cheek, and turned the main lights out before settling in the chair by the bed. He could have unsealed the scroll that held his camp supplies and slept in his bedroll, but the chair would be fine, and he could see Sakura from his place in it.
Kakashi dozed more than slept, really, and he came alert instantly when Sakura began to whimper, thrashing.
“Sakura. Sakura-chan, it’s all right.” Kakashi soothed, pulling her up bodily when she choked and holding her steady. He crooned, rubbing her back, and she shuddered, clinging to him, struggling to breathe. She was uncomfortably hot against him even through both the light yukata she wore and the much thicker fabric of his uniform blues, and Kakashi grimaced, rocking her until she calmed down a little more.
Sakura settled back against the wall and Kakashi helped her blow her nose - she jerked suddenly as he pulled away again, mumbling an apology and flushing even more, and Kakashi hummed, quieting her. Of all the disgusting things Kakashi had dealt with in his life, a potential bit of snot was hardly worthy of notice. He felt her brow and winced, rising and going to the next room, fetching a few cloths and a bowl of cool water.
“Wash your face.” Kakashi suggested, soaking a cloth and then wringing it out before handing it to her.
Sakura did as he asked, then blew her nose again, coughing a little, and Kakashi took the cloth and handed her a glass of water instead, hesitating just long enough to be sure she could hold it up. She did fine, sipping the water slowly and sagging against the wall.
Halfway through the glass of water she lowered it to rest on her lap, head lolling and eyelids drooping. Kakashi took it away before she could spill it on herself.
“Are you hungry, pup?” Kakashi asked, clasping her hand and rubbing the back of her wrist lightly. Sakura whined and shook her head.
“Tired.” Sakura groaned, and Kakashi hummed. Her voice was thick and nasal, and she’d had trouble breathing until he sat her up.
“Would you rest better if you were propped up?” Kakashi asked softly, and Sakura blinked at him, then nodded, sniffling miserably. Kakashi hummed again, retrieving her bedroll from one of the camp supply scrolls and returning to sit on the edge of the bed. He drew Sakura forwards and let her rest against his shoulder as he rearranged the pillows and shoved the still-bound bedroll behind them to produce a higher angle.
Sakura sank back gratefully, and Kakashi brushed his lips over her brow, feeling the heat through his mask, as he tucked her in again. “Sleep if you can, pup.” Kakashi soothed, squeezing her hand before he moved back to his chair, stretching and settling in again.
Sakura dozed off quickly, and Kakashi settled back into his half-dozing state, ears pricked for any change from his pup.
She woke several more times in the night, but never in quite such distress; Kakashi soothed her back to sleep quickly each time without much difficulty.
It was morning before he could coax her to try eating again, and a bowl of okayu was easily wheedled from the innkeeper, along with delivering some pointed implications that he had no patience for speculation about his student.
Sakura ate a little more this time, to Kakashi’s relief, and while she still looked miserable she was not quite so groggy. Her fever was still intense but it was, at least, no longer actively worsening.
Even with her more alert, Kakashi left a clone to watch over her when he went out to send a report back to Konoha. Uuhei fussed a little, but didn’t really protest, prancing in place as Kakashi secured the scroll inside her vest.
“Careful, boss.” Uuhei moved closer, bouncing up a bit and licking his cheek. “Look after the pup, too.”
Kakashi nuzzled her brow gently. “I will.” he promised. “Be quick and be safe.” he ordered, tugging gently at one of her ears. Uuhei yipped in agreement, then shook herself, light on her paws.
Kakashi watched her go for a moment, then rose and headed back into the village. He lingered along the way, thinking of his pup and what she liked, taking a detour through the market, the shops just beginning to open.
When Kakashi returned he found Sakura asleep again. He dismissed his clone - Sakura had been asleep much of the time he was gone, though she’d had one choking, miserable coughing fit - settled in to eat quickly while she slept, then napped himself until the sound of her stirring woke him again.
Sakura ate another bit of okayu when he fetched it up, and brightened at the anmitsu Kakashi had brought her, managing a little more of that. It was why he’d stopped to search it out in the market, hoping the favoured sweet would tempt her a little more when she hadn’t felt like eating.
Her fever worsened again over the course of the afternoon, seemingly coming in unsteady waves over the night and the next day. Kakashi fought down nerves as he watched over her, checking her fever, making sure she could breathe, wheedling her into drinking as much as she could. She was sick, but it was only a regular illness; no poison, nothing. . .
Kakashi shook his head, steadying Sakura’s hands as she lifted a mug of tea to her lips.
“Thank you sensei.” Sakura rasped, and he hushed her again, chiding, even as she began to cough. It went on, and Kakashi winced, taking the mug away entirely and moving closer, supporting her as she bent forwards, wheezing and shuddering and struggling to breathe, as though he could lend her some of his strength if he only held her close enough.
Sakura sagged against him, her hot brow against his neck - he could feel her sweat seeping through the fabric of his mask and his nose wrinkled. Kakashi hugged her gently and picked up the mug again, offering it to her. He didn’t let her take it from his hand this time, noting how her fingers trembled and she never quite lifted her head completely.
“Try to rest.” Kakashi said as she finished, nudging the mug away again.
Sakura sniffled pitifully. “It’s boring. And miserable.” she said, then sniffed again. “Sorry. . .”
Kakashi hummed, pressing a light kiss to her temple. “Lie back a bit.” he suggested, and helped her get comfortable propped up in pillows again. “I thought you might be,” he added as he stepped away; kami knew he was always ready to climb the walls by the end of the first day of bed rest, “so I picked this up yesterday.”
Sakura lifted her head curiously and Kakashi raised the book a little higher, letting her see it and pleased that she looked engaged. She reached out, though her arm drooped weakly, then winced as she tried to read the back.
“Would you like me to read it to you?” Kakashi asked, stroking her hair and letting his thumb brush her brow.
Sakura looked up at him with glassy eyes. “Ka- Kakashi-sensei? Would you?” she asked, voice wavering. Kakashi’s chest ached a little. He bent and nuzzled the top of her head, nudging her to relax into the pillows again.
“Of course, pup.” Kakashi promised, bringing up the blanket over her as she shivered and snuggled into it. He hooked a foot around the leg of his chair and brought it closer, settling into it and opening the book, beginning to read, splitting his focus to watch his pup as he read out the beginnings of an adventure a bright, shy little girl fell into.
Sakura was mostly asleep by the middle of chapter two - Akari had just met a few new people, scared and pressed into serving a dark villain, and begun to make friends - but Kakashi kept reading; it was the most peaceful she had looked in two days. He could always flip back, or start over, when Sakura was awake again.
It wasn’t a bad or uninteresting book, even if it wouldn’t have been his usual choice.
Somewhere around chapter seven Sakura began to stir, whimpering. Kakashi watched her, voice trailing off as she thrashed weakly, panting, face screwed up miserably.
Kakashi put the book aside, stroking Sakura’s sweat-damp hair out of her face. He took a fresh cloth and soaked it in the bowl of cool water on the nightstand, sponging her face and then wetting the cloth again, leaving it to rest on her brow for the moment. Sakura whimpered softly, opening her eyes, though they were unfocused and glazed.
Kakashi frowned, swallowing back a whine of his own, and stroked her cheek, resting a hand on her shoulder when she fidgeted. “Hush. It’s all right, precious.” he soothed, leaning closer, and Sakura whimpered again, squirming.
She was just ill, Kakashi reminded himself as she tossed her head. She was very ill, and very miserable, but she would be fine; her fever was unpleasant but it hadn’t reached dangerous heights either. She only needed rest and looking after, and he could do that. Kakashi might have rather had her back home - much as he hated the hospital, there were times. . .
But he could look after his pup himself, if she needed him; this illness wasn’t beyond his capabilities.
Kakashi kissed her brow and then replaced the cloth. “Shall I read some more?” he asked, and Sakura keened, sniffling, and nodded. Then she choked, and Kakashi helped her upright, supporting her as she coughed and struggled to breathe. She blew her nose, then sagged against him, breathing ragged.
Kakashi let her rest there for a while, then nudged her into accepting a drink. She shivered against him despite the heat of her fever, and Kakashi wrapped the blanket higher around her once the glass was out of the way. Her fingers were curled into his shirt.
Kakashi leaned away just enough to snag the book with one hand, then made himself comfortable where his pup held on to him at the head of the bed. Sakura curled against his side, head on his shoulder, though it couldn’t have been comfortable and there was a heap of pillows just beside her. Kakashi let her, flipping the book open again and curling an arm around Sakura once more to support her.
The next few days passed in similar fashion, a bit blurred as they were ordered primarily by Sakura’s uneasy cycle of sleep and waking. Kakashi left her rarely, and realised on the third day that the innkeeper’s wife had decided she must be his daughter.
Kakashi didn’t argue with the ridiculous conclusion, just thanked her for her trouble when she began to bring up okayu or broth or soup herself so he didn’t have to leave Sakura to fetch it. Another short trip out of the inn - Bisuke and Shiba stayed and watched over Sakura for him for the time he was gone - let Kakashi find the next two books about the little heroine he had been reading to Sakura, and he cycled through them several times while Sakura faded in and out of sleep.
He wasn’t sure how much of the stories she actually took in, but she rested easier when Kakashi was reading, and when she was more awake she occasionally engaged with him about Akari’s adventures, her voice weak and raspy. Kakashi was glad of it, especially when her questions and comments grew reassuringly sharper and more thoughtful, even if her voice was still thick and rough.
Sakura was beginning to mend, her fever broken and her breathing easier. Not well enough to even begin protesting that she wanted to get out of bed, though, and Kakashi was relieved not to have to argue with her yet. They were already overdue on their projected mission time, but the nin they’d been sent after were dealt with and the information Konoha needed had been safely delivered back; they had a good reason for the delay, and Kakashi wouldn’t push his pup back to her feet too soon when it wasn’t needed - or allow her to push herself so hard. They could spare a few more days.
Sitting on the edge of the bed beside Sakura, Kakashi brushed his fingers through her hair, which had dried a little oddly against her temple after she had weakly insisted on a bath again that morning. Kakashi had lingered outside the door listening carefully as she splashed and occasionally assured him in a still-raspy voice that she was upright and fine, trying not to fret. Sakura nudged into his fingers, and he ruffled her hair lightly, loosening it, then combing it back.
“Read s’more?” Sakura asked thickly, and Kakashi hummed, hugging her close and nudging his jaw against her temple affectionately. Sakura snuggled into him and let her head sag onto his shoulder as she sighed.
“Of course, pup.” Kakashi said quietly, shifting a little higher and freeing a hand to reach for the book on the nightstand. He’d read all three of them through to her at least four times while she was feverish and groggy, but he wouldn’t be surprised if she hadn’t actually registered most of them enough to remember. Despite her much improved condition, Kakashi wouldn’t be too surprised if she didn’t this time, either. He suspected she might fall asleep. Good, she needed it.
Kakashi flipped the book open to where he had left off last in chapter three. “Faced with the darkest terror of her heart, but knowing her friends were depending on her, Akari braced herself and showed no fear,” Kakashi read, and Sakura sighed again, shifting and nudging her cheek against his collarbone, “because despite the deepest of terrors. . .”
Kakashi petted her hair with his free hand as he read, letting it rest on her back when she went lax. By the time he had finished chapter three Kakashi was aware Sakura was half asleep; he only turned the page and started on chapter four.
“Thank you sensei.” Sakura said, words a little slurred with sleep.
“Of course, pup.” Kakashi replied softly, chest aching. “Anything.” he promised.
Omake:
Sakura bounced a little as they walked through the gates, heading over to check in with the guards.
“You’re late.”
Sakura stilled, ducking her head. Kakashi brushed his knuckles against her side. “Unavoidable. The Hokage has the information she needed, and we’re back now.” he said flatly, not inviting any further comment.
“Right, sorry, sorry.” Isamu held up a hand. “Checked you in, you know the drill.”
Kakashi inclined his head as he turned away, hand sliding behind Sakura’s shoulder to nudge her into following, though it wasn’t needed. Finally back, after more than twice as long as the mission should have taken . . . though the mission had accounted for very little of the delay.
Sakura looked downcast, and Kakashi ruffled her hair gently. “Not your fault, pup.” he said quietly, and she looked up at him, startled. “Take a couple of days with your parents, mm? I’ll report in and we’ll meet at the training grounds in two days.”
“Yes, Kakashi-sensei.” Sakura dipped her head. She hesitated for a moment as she raised it, then stepped forwards, pressing close against him, arms tight around his waist. Kakashi blinked, then lifted a hand to cup the back of her head, his other arm folding across her back absently. “Thanks for taking care of me, sensei.”
Kakashi swallowed, hugging her a little tighter. “Of course, pup.”
It was a long few moments before Kakashi could quite bring himself to let go, and Sakura stepped back with a bright smile when he did.
“Maa. . .” Kakashi began, and Sakura paused barely a step away. “You might have these.” He pulled out Akari’s books and proffered them to his student. “If you want them.”
“Oh!” Sakura accepted the books.
“They were for you, anyway.” Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck.
Sakura grinned, hugging them to her chest. “Thank you. I liked them.” She glanced down at the books, then back up at him. Kakashi nodded, then flapped a hand at her, and she giggled. “See you in two days, sensei!”
Kakashi lifted a hand in a lazy wave, watching her trot away, then turned and headed off to his delayed meeting with the Hokage.