Hard Times
Akari's POV
We returned to Konoha and Sasuke was quiet the whole way back. I entered the Uchiha apartment that the two brothers lived.
"What were you thinking Sasuke, you could have gotten seriously hurt. You are lucky there is no Hokage around right now, or you would have been suspended from missions, or worse stripped off your rank and sent back to the academy." I scolded Sasuke and Itachi looked up from the kitchen surely amused by how Sasuke was responding. "I get that you might have wanted to warn Naruto, but if you ever had a thought about going after Obito for any reasons, you will be on D rank missions till you become Jounin." I said and I was sure I saw Sasuke gulp.
"Go on what do you have to say for yourself." I finished crossing my arms and giving Sasuke a glare. "Well, I....um I went to warn Naruto about the criminals." Sasuke mumbled shivering slightly at my gaze. "You're going to spend the rest of the week completing some missions." I said and Sasuke took a breath of relief. "D rank missions Sasuke, why did you ever think you could lie to me." I said and Sasuke glared at Itachi as he chuckled. My hair settled down and I turned to Itachi who was in the kitchen, leaving a blown out Sasuke in the living room.
"Are you really going to give him D rank missions?" Itachi asked and I nodded. "That is the only kind he can do on his own." I said sighing. "Konoha is limited on resources right now, with Kakashi comatose that is another less jounin." I explained as Itachi shot me a confused look. I walked out of the apartment heading to the mission room. "Akari san, nice to see you again." Iruka greeted me and handed me a mission scroll. "Thank you Iruka." I said before leaving the room and opening the scroll.
A solo S rank mission, great. I thought looking through the contents of the scroll. I headed out for the mission as soon as I packed out the necessary weapons.
The night neared and the sky became darker, I sensed the enemy coming nearer. I threw a kunai at the enemy and I heard a hiss. A person came out of the bushes in a fighting stance. And I readied myself as the man lunged as me. My kunai clashed with his Katana and we both jumped back. "Let's finish this quick." I said making hand signs. "Lightning style: Strike of death." I said and lightning crackled around me and I aimed it at the man successfully killing him.
I walked back to village and I turned my report in to Izumo. "Akari, did you just get back from a mission." Kurenai asked entering the mission room. "Yeah, why do you ask." I replied. "Well, I thought you'll be spending all your time next to Kakashi." She said and I smiled. "Missions now are important, I do want to be next to him." I sighed and Kurenai patted my head.
"So have you heard about who the new Hokage is?" Asuma said walking up to us. "I don't want to hear about it." I sighed. "Do you think Naruto can convince her." Kurenai asked me as I turned towards my apartment. "If anyone can he can." I said remembering Kushina. I waved them goodbye and walked up the stairs opening the door to my apartment. I took a quick shower, and changed into some comfortable clothes, before heading to the hospital. The door to the ward showed that the room was lit and I hurried my steps to see if Kakashi was alright.
"Akari san." I was greeted by a nurse who was in the room to change the I.V. "How's he?" I asked and she looked at her clipboard before handing it to me. I read through the records and I handed it back to her. "He's going to be comatose for at least a week, considering the chakra depletion." I said to myself as the nurse left the room. "If you'd ever stop being reckless, Kashi." I mumbles laying my head on the side of the bed.
I was woken by a foreign chakra in the room. I swiftly took out a kunai throwing it at the intruder. "Danzo." I said as the man stepped out of the shadows. "Akari Kato, I see you are quite capable now." Danzo said and I shot him a glare. "Not to worry, I didn't come here to fight, it would mostly waste my time." Danzo said calmly. "Then what do you want." I asked still keeping my guard up. "As I said before, you are quite capable..of ruining my plans." He responded.
"If your plans aren't so evil, maybe I won't interfere." I shot back at him. "I do everything for the wellfare of Konoha, sacrifices have to be made to achieve that." Danzo said monotone. "I would rather say, that you also can't save everyone, may I induce your teammates from both teams, and maybe your dearest senseis, I won't be so sure about the love of your life either." Danzo said and I went speechless. "Exactly as I thought." Danzo said and he vanished into the shadows. I swallowed my thoughts as me mind started taking to the darkest corner I didn't want to go now.
~Timeskip two weeks~
Kakashi was still in a coma but he was getting better than before. I spend the last passing weeks drowning myself down in missions. Even though I never wanted to admit it, Danzo's word managed to really get me. Years of guilt and grief I've been holding back came down all together. "Rough mission." Koetsu asked as I handed my report to him. "Yeah, I suppose so." I said before leaving the office. I did my usual routine and headed to the hospital and I noticed that there was a difference in the atmosphere in the village.
"Akari sensei, I'm back." Naruto said as soon as he saw me and I quickly put on a fake smile greeting him. "Welcome back Naruto." I said to him. "Why are you in the hospital though." I asked him confused. "I was bringing Oba chan to see if she can fix Lee." Naruto said grinning brightly. I opened the door to Kakashi's room to hear an all too familiar voice. "Taken down by a measly criminal, I don't know what Akari sees in you." The person said making me deadpan. "Okaa san." I said a little surprised. "Wait, Oba chan is Akari sensei's mother." Naruto yelled out behind me. Kakashi and I locked eyes and I quickly turned away.
"You are really lecturing him." I asked my mother and she moved her hand to her hips. "I'm the Hokage now, of course someone would have to say something." She said raising an eyebrow at me. Mother came closer and dragged me out side the room and into my medical office which was nearby. "You haven't been taking care of yourself, have you." She said flicking my forehead. "I've been." I responded making her shoot me a glare. "Okay, maybe I got a little a carried away on the last two weeks." I said giving in. "I have to hand it to Hatake, he ends up in the hospital and you are suddenly off tracks." Mother said sighing after. "I taught you better Akari, he could be gone any second, don't be so dependent." She finished and those were the last word to make me snap.
"Listen, I'm not that dependent on Kakashi, and if I am that would be because I love him. I'm not a child anymore mother, I can take enough care of myself. And Kakashi is not going to go while I'm still around." I ranted bursting into tears at the end. Mother embraced me patting my back as I reached back to stability. "Dear, I do understand that you love him, I'm telling you all this because I don't want what happened to me to happen to you as well alright." She said comforting me. We left the office and I entered Kakashi's room to see him reach out to take his book. But he quickly put it down seeing me enter the room.
"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked as I sat down on the chair next to the bed. "I'm fine." I said smiling and Kakashi gave me a look of disbelief but didn't push further.