The Gathering III: Mistaken Identity
Sasuke was two seconds from climbing out the window. He was tired of being confined to a hospital room, a captive audience for Sakura to fawn over, for Ino
to come and gawk at, for everyone he'd never met of the female gender to peek in at before blushing, squealing, and running away just as quick. Kakashi
hadn't visited him. Naruto hadn't visited him. Shikamaru had visited him, though Sasuke wasn't sure why. They weren't friends. He was fairly sure Shikamaru
disliked him more than most people his age. He'd stopped by once, a few minutes before visiting hours ended. He'd stood in the doorway, frowned at him for a
while, and then told him to get better quick because his teammates were annoying without him around. If he hadn't left so quick, and if they hadn't been
frowning at each other while he was there, Sasuke might have told him that his teammates were always annoying, whether he was around or not.
Sakura was late for her visit today. That was the main reason Sasuke was seriously considering an escape through the window before she showed up. Her
interest in him had gone beyond the annoying and into the disturbing. It was the way she watched him, doting, worshiping, blind and shallow. She wasn't a
shallow person. He'd seen that for himself on the rare occasions when she'd shown sympathy for others, for Lee, for Naruto, even for Ino. It was as if he
brought out the worst in her, because she only saw the best in him.
He'd told her Naruto was the one who'd rescued her from Gaara and she hadn't spared more than a moment for surprise before she'd gone right back to
thanking him for being so worried about her welfare. He didn't have to ask to know she hadn't bothered to thank Naruto. She'd never get around to that
because as long as he was near her the thought of being grateful to her other teammate would never cross her mind. He couldn't even look down on her for
that because he was just as bad. He'd never thanked Naruto for anything and never would, no more than Naruto would ever thank him for protecting him from
Haku. And that was another reason he hated having Sakura visit him. She reminded him of the teammate who hadn't visited, the one who'd suddenly entered
his sights as an even more challenging opponent than Gaara.
He couldn't even think of that without his world view twisting on itself. A matter of days. At the beginning of the exam he'd acknowledged Naruto, because he'd
survived Haku, defeated him, even, after Sasuke had been convinced he was dying for nothing, protecting someone who wouldn't be able to protect himself
after he was gone. But Naruto had survived. So he'd marked him at the bottom of his list of adversaries, proven but untested strength. And then Orochimaru
had attacked and it was Naruto who'd stood up to him. Naruto who'd almost single-handedly fought their way out of the forest, Naruto with his bottomless well
of chakra and impossibly fast healing. Naruto, who'd summoned a creature Sasuke had only heard about in sannin legends, and then used it to defeat Gaara,
who Sasuke had fought and lost to horribly.
Sasuke didn't want to think about that. He didn't want to think about Naruto at all. Because that much growth in such a short period of time was impossible to
reconcile with the clumsy dobe he'd spent months of low rank missions protecting from the stupidest mishaps imaginable. Falling over a waterfall, falling out of
a tree, freezing completely at the first encounter with deadly attackers, exerting himself until Sasuke had to support the idiot all the way back to the house they
were staying at in Wave country. He hadn't misread Naruto's strength when they were teamed together. When had he lost sight of him so much that he'd not
only caught up to him, but possibly surpassed him completely?
He couldn't let himself think about that because the more he thought about it the more desperate he felt. And every time Sakura sat down beside him - beside
the bed where he was stuck after exhausting himself by losing to someone Naruto had demolished - he couldn't stop thinking and comparing. He was going to
hate her if this continued, to hate the person he turned her into, right when he'd finally resigned himself to the fact that his teammates were important to him.
Maybe if he got away, rested in his empty apartment just as quietly as he could rest in a hospital room, but without the constant visits reminding him, maybe
then he'd be able to calm down and not feel like his time was running out.
He'd have to sneak away to do that. The doctors had refused to release him, stating the need to monitor the curse mark in case of a relapse. It was humiliating
to be forced into sneaking out and he knew they could easily pick him up the moment he got home and bring him right back again. He'd fight if they tried to
bring him back by force. He wanted to fight. Maybe it was a good thing Naruto was staying away from him. If he saw him now he was afraid he'd challenge him
and he already knew he'd never match someone who'd defeated Gaara, mere days after he'd lost to him. It would be futile, demoralizing, he knew it, and he
still wouldn't be able to resist doing it anyway.
He was standing by the open window, glaring, his hands curled into fists at his side, when two taps rang on his door. For a brief moment he considered
jumping out. He wanted to. He could stay quiet in the abandoned Uchiha complex and no one from the hospital would be able to track him down. He might have
done it, if he hadn't imagined Sakura's face when she entered the room and saw him running away across the yard. Too humiliating.
"Yo," Kakashi greeted, slipping into the room and closing the door behind him. "You weren't thinking about sneaking out that window, were you?"
Sasuke's eyebrow twitched and he turned to shoot a resentful look at his teacher. He'd finally gotten around to visiting him and that was all he could think of to
say to him? He blinked when he caught sight of Kakashi and his eyebrow twitched again. "Why are you dressed like that...?"
.-.
Kiba was relaxing back against a tree, lazily scratching Akamaru's belly while the pup lounged on his back beside him in the grass. They'd been training earlier
with Hinata, who'd been showing an almost scary amount of motivation considering her own cousin had nearly killed her fairly recently. He was still sore from all
those jabs she made when she manipulated chakra pathways. He swore the ones to reopen the paths were even more painful than the ones to close them.
Seriously scary for such a sweet tempered girl. Akamaru had sat that one out, watching from a distance. Now he whined and enjoyed the tired attention being
paid to him. He was the one who noticed the visitor first, snuffling and rolling onto his belly to wag his tail at the familiar man.
Kiba cracked an eye and frowned at Kakashi. All of his muscles felt stiff and achy, so he didn't bother to straighten up. "What brings you out this way?"
"I was looking for Shino," Kakashi smiled.
"Hunh," Kiba sniffed, rolling his eyes. "Good luck with that. His dad's had him on a short leash since he went chasing after that Kankuro guy. That poison he
used was some nasty stuff, but I think his dad's more mad that he went off without telling anyone. Figures no one ever told him the quiet ones aren't supposed
to do stuff like that."
"He's incapacitated?" asked Kakashi, his smile fading into a frown.
"Nah," Kiba waved, "not anymore. That Nara clan's not to shabby about mixing up antidotes. Took a few days for it to kick in, is all. His dad's probably just got
him doing training somewhere on his own. Kurenai-sensei can't handle stuff like that, you know. They're even more closemouthed than the Hyuugas."
Kakashi sighed. "That's a problem. I don't supposed you'd help me find him?"
"You're kidding, right?" Kiba stared.
Akamaru trotted over to Kakashi, who crouched down to pet behind his ear. Kiba scowled at the way his dog's tail thumped happily.
"He's a friendly one," said Kakashi. "Very intelligent."
"Course he is," Kiba sniffed. He leaned forward, sighing at how eager Akamaru was. A few more pets like that and his dog would be conning him into helping
the good petter whether he wanted to or not. That was such a low move, getting to him through his dog. "You raise dogs, too, right? That's probably why he
likes you."
"Mm," Kakashi smiled, straightening up and watching the little puppy run back to Kiba. "I like dogs. He goes with you everywhere, eh?"
"Inseparable since he was born," Kiba said proudly. "Best friends, great partners. They don't get better than Akamaru, here. He'll be as big as his sire in no
time."
"I believe it," said Kakashi. He walked forward until he was standing directly in front of the boy. "So, you up to helping an old man find some secret training
spot?"
"Ah, whatever," Kiba sighed. Akamaru barked encouragement and climbed up to rest in his customary spot on Kiba's head.
Kakashi beamed and reached down to help him up.
.-.
Naruto was almost to the hospital when he found someone standing two feet in front of him. He almost didn't recognize him and he ground to a halt at the last
second, his sensei taking a sharp step to the side to keep from being knocked over.
"What's going on?" Kakashi asked sharply. His expression was dark and serious, withholding judgement for the moment.
Naruto was too panicky to wince at that look. He knew what Kakashi was thinking. He'd been running with Kyuubi's chakra blazing around him so much that
every shinobi in the village ranked chuunin or higher must have felt it. Most of the adults would recognize it, too. But he didn't have time to explain or defend
himself.
"I have to get to the hospital," Naruto blurted, standing on his toes and ready to dart off again. "Sasuke and Lee are in trouble - I'll explain later!"
"Naruto," Kakashi said quickly, stepping into his path on the narrow rooftop. "I was with Sasuke when I felt you. He's fine. What are you talking about?"
Naruto choked on a mix of pain and relief. Not Sasuke. It wasn't Sasuke. But that meant...
"And Lee...?" Naruto asked, his voice coming out small.
"I don't know," Kakashi admitted.
"I gotta go!" Naruto blurted, his throat closing up and that panic rushing to burn in his eyes. Kyuubi was a thrum of lashing energy in the pit of his stomach,
urging him to forget this talking and run.
Kakashi caught his arm before he made it two steps. Naruto's eyes blazed at him, furious at the complete lack of trust and the precious time being lost. Lee
was gone. Sasuke could be next. And Kakashi wanted him to talk? There was no time to talk.
"Think," Kakashi said sharply, his hand curling more firmly over Naruto's arm. "I can get us there faster."
Naruto had just enough time to let out a surprised and relieved breath before Kakashi pulled him a little closer and they both disappeared.
.-.
PART 4
.-.
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