Chapter Text
The mission was ruined. You all felt it at your core and the glowers from your teammates made it clear whose fault they concluded it was. When you returned home, the very reason for your failed mission was there. Your apartment’s curtains blew by the breeze of the open window. Kabuto lounged on your bed. One arm stretched behind his head as he twirled a kunai around his finger. Your eyes widened, quickly closing the door. You rushed over to the bed to quickly draw the curtains, kneeling on the bed.
“Please, you can’t be here.” You whined in esaperation. “Not after what happened today.”
“Oh? I can’t visit the Leaf’s sweetest kunoichi?”
Kabuto grabbed your sleeve and pulled you down onto him. You yelped as you crashed. He propped himself up against your pillow and chuckled to himself as you scrambled to sit up.
“It’s not funny! You sabotaged me today.”
“Aw, ‘sabotaged’. Look at you using big words.” He pinched your cheek, crooning mockingly. “Don’t worry your pretty little head. It’s all taken care of.”
“Wait, what’s that supposed to mean?”
But before he could answer, a pounding came from the other side of your door. You jumped, causing Kabuto to snicker. You shushed him as shouts of your name came through your door. You scurried up, pulling the rogue ninja up with you with slight resistance. Another shout accompanied aggressive knocking. Unceremoniously, you shoved Kabuto into your wardrobe.
“Stay here and stay quiet.” You pleaded. You shut the wardrobe just as your walls shook.
“I swear to fuck, we know you’re in there!”
You ran to the entrance of your apartment and as soon as you undid the lock, the door swung open. You swiftly stepped to the side as your three teammates from the last mission stormed into your home.
“Your boyfriend’s in the bingo book. You know that right?” Your captain pushed past you. The team stood surrounding you in the middle of your small studio apartment.
“He’s not my boyfriend.” You stammered, stumbling back.
“Well, you certainly seem cozy enough with a traitor.” He turned to your other two teammates, sharing scowls among each other. “I put a word in with Hokage-sama, you know. You’re certainly not fit to serve.”
“What? No-” You tried to step forward but you were shoved back. You flinched as your back hit your wardrobe.
“Can you tell your boy-toy a ‘good job’ for botching our mission?” One of your teammates grabbed your hair. Your hand shot up to her wrist, trying to deafen the dull pain on your scalp as she pulled. The door behind you creaked open just enough to feel on your back.
“C’mon, guys!” You stuttered. Your features contorted in helplessness and pain. “It’s not my fault!”
“Nothing’s ever your fault.” Your other teammate spat. He took a step forward, leaning with his forearm braced against the door of the wardrobe. The door closed shut. “‘Cause I know rogue ninja always come to my rescue.”
“I wouldn’t sell my country out to be a piece of ass.” The kunoichi gripping your hair pulled harder. You flushed red as you cried out.
You tried to deny their allegations, pleading to be let go and listened to, but your cries fell on deaf ears. The door opened ajar one again behind you. The kunoichi whipped your head around, causing you to tumble to the floor. Your head knocked against the wardrobe causing it to rattle. You looked up at your team as they scowled down upon you.
“Ahem.”
Attention turned to your window. The curtains were pulled aside just enough to allow the perch of one messenger ninja.
“Word from the Hokage.” The messenger announced. “The scroll was authentic after all. Congratulations. Your mission was a success.”
The three ninja in your home turned to each other and the messenger left just as suddenly as he arrived. You sheltered your head under arms as the team stepped around you. Wordlessly, they left. The front door slammed behind them causing you to jump, still curled up on the floor.
The wardrobe door creaked open. Kabuto stood looking pointedly at the entrance of your apartment, leaning against the frame of his hiding place. He frowned, glancing down at you as you unfurled. Kabuto stepped out of the darkness and leaned down. A hand came to gently caress the bump on your forehead. You flinched.
“Poor thing,” He tsked. Crouching down, his hands ignited to heal the bruise that was starting to form. “Why do you let them do this to you?”
“It’s not like I wanted them to.” You murmured.
Kabuto looked down at your forehead. His brows knitted together. He retracted his hand, studying the area under it but there was no bruise to be seen. Kabuto sat back on his knees. Even his expert medical ninjutsu wasn’t that fast.
You sat together on the floor. Kabuto looked straight into your eyes. You flushed and diverted your gaze. You gulped, the sensation of his stare lingering on your skin. Your lips parted before pursing again.
“Um… It was you that switched the scrolls, wasn’t it?”
“Who else would have, dear?” You saw his smirk out of your peripheral.
“Don’t call me that, please.” Your cheeks flushed red, lashes fluttering shut. “I thank you for earlier but us talking has to stop.”
“What? You don’t like the pet names I give you?”
“Eh… It uh-well, it has more to do with the fact that you’re a... wanted... criminal.” You nervously twiddled your thumbs almost afraid to finish your sentence. Kabuto scoffed, moving across the floor to sit next to you. He propped up a knee as he leaned back against your bed.
“Says who?” Your head snapped up, brows furrowed.
“The Leaf, of course.” Kabuto met your gaze and you looked away again, suddenly aware of your proximity. Your eyes widened and buried your head in your knees, letting out a groan. “And I’m fraternizing with the enemy.”
“‘Fraternizing with the enemy’,” Kabuto repeated with a chuckle. He tilted his head back against the side of your mattress, eyes still glued to your frame. “You don’t think I’m the enemy, do you, dear?”
You picked up your head slightly. Your cheeks squished against the forearms wrapped around your knees as you carefully considered his words. Your stream of thought was flooded. Conflict rose in your chest as you took a sharp exhale.
“No.”