My Masked Rival - a Kakashi X OC Love Story

Chapter 17

Just covering a detail I don't think I mentioned in the bio. As you read this chapter, I'd you're wondering why Kakashi doesn't just recognize her by her voice-the same chakra bandages that change her appearance while she wears them also changes the tone of her voice just enough so that no one correlates the two.

The battle was over, Gaoto's men had all run in fear and now a silence fell over the bridge top.

Sakura approached my unconscious body first out of curiosity, having heard what Kakashi called me.

"Sakura, wait." Kakashi grabbed her by the shoulder, keeping her from getting any closer.

"But, Sensei! She needs our help!" Sakura looked from Kakashi to me. The concrete surrounding my body was stained red with blood. Blood from a wound that needed tending soon before I lost too much of it.

"I'll handle this. You help Sasuke." He ordered her, then came over to me.

"Haruhi-" he snapped his fingers a couple times in front of my face. When I didn't react he just continued on, kneeling down and lifting me up until my back was leaning against his side.

Pain coursed through my shoulder as I was moved and I regained a bit of consciousness...my body felt sluggish and heavy.

"-kashi..." I whispered followed by a hiss. Just the rise of my chest from breathing added a stitch in my shoulder to the pain I was in.

As gingerly as possible, Kakashi slipped the sleeves of my outfit down my arms until the top hung at my waist. (remember there's a separate set of bandages under the outfit concealing the chest)

Kakashi pulled a pad of gauze out of one of his vest pockets and pressed it against the wound where the sword had entered. He wrapped his other arm around my front to pick up my shaking hand and placed it over the gauze. "Hold it." He ordered, then slipped his hand out from under mine and reached into another pocket, this time pulling out a roll of bandages.

"Why are the Akatsuki here?" He wasted no time in questioning me as he slowly wrapped the bandages from my shoulder, across my back, under the opposite arm then around my chest and back again.

"The Akatsuki...are not here." I panted through the pain.

"So you're on a solo mission?" He continued, not getting what I meant.

"I'm not on any...mission...I'm not...Akatsuki anymore..."

"Since when?" His tone held disbelief.

"Since our last encounter..." It was difficult, but I managed to turn my head just enough to look at Kakashi. He had paused mid wrap with his hand now resting on my good shoulder as he thought back to the last time he saw me...how Kakuzu knocked me out...

Maybe...it could be possible he thought.

"Why the hell...would I...do this...if I was...still Akatsuki..." My breathing started to become more ragged and I was growing light headed again.

"...why did you, Haruhi?" Kakashi asked after thinking about my question for a moment. But I had slipped back into unconsciousness before he even finished the question.

-------

"Has this ever worked on Kakashi?" My voice was raspy, startling Naruto who had tried to creep up on me. His hand was just inches away from the edge of my mask when I came to my senses and caught him without even opening an eye.

He gulped and shook his head no at first, then remembered my eyes were still closed and piped up, "N-no."

"Then why did you think that would work on her?" I heard Kakashi add in from beside me with exactly what I was about to say.