Riptide

“I sympathize, Hatake,” Yuugao told him, “But if you fuck up this treaty up over your kid, you’ll be up shit creek without a paddle.”

Kakashi sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He had only half heartedly joked about grabbing Sakura and leaving. Yuugao was not one for jokes though and knew he was mostly serious.

“You must let her come to us,” Gai told him almost gently as he clasped his shoulder, “If you move to quick you will scare her away.”

“She brought us food, Senpai,” Tenzo added, “Came to us of her own free will and lingered. She’s not running away she’s just skittish.”

Kakashi sighed again. He had picked this team himself because he trusted these three implicitly, but Tsunade had approved of the team because she had known they were some of the few people who could talk him down and wouldn’t put up with his shit.

“She’s so…small,” Kakashi said.

“All kids are,” Yuugao said simply, “I checked her as much as I could while I did her feet. Outside the obvious she is not hiding any injuries.”

“Outside the broken arm and the twisted and ankle and torn up feet and starvation you mean,” Kakashi said.

“Outside that,” Yuugao shrugged, “She’s been fucked over Kakashi, but she’s obviously been taken care of in some regard. Yes she’s been not been getting enough food but she’s not dying or emaciated, just under weight. Yes she’s taken some injuries, but they’ve all been treated well. And yeah, she seems about as twitchy and feral as you’d expect after being in this viper pit, but she let you hug her, came to us of her own will.”

“You’re telling me to accept the fact she’s been in a terrible situation because it’s not as terrible as it could be,” Kakashi growled, “She shouldn’t have been in it to begin with.”

“That’s shinobi life, Kakashi,” Yuugao said and while it wasn’t without sympathy it wasn’t kind either, “Life is unfair.”

He liked Yuugao. Liked her a lot and knew she had been through just as much shit in her life. He trusted her a hell of a lot more than most people he knew. Which meant he had to listen when she spoke even if it was not what he wanted to hear.

“Life is unfair,” he sighed in agreement looking out over Kiri.

.--.

“Kakashi-sensei,” Sakura greeted, “You’re up early!”

Kakashi turned and found Sakura approaching, holding someone’s hand. Kakashi tilted his head not unlike one of his dogs with a puzzle and ran his eyes over Sakura’s companion. They were quite beautiful, all slender frame and long dark lush hair and wide expressive doe eyes. Flawless pale skin and a pretty smile paired with a beautiful pink kimono made them all the more stunning. Kakashi looked for outward signs of gender and found none on the androgynous beauty. A thick fashionable choker was across the throat hiding any sign of an Adam’s apple and their slender frame could lean either way. Kimono were meant to hide any obvious curves and Kakashi tilted his head as even his nose was confused by the smell of a light airy perfume.

Sakura was holding their hand though, not looking uncomfortable or concerned in anyway.

“Mah, just because I was always late in the morning didn’t mean I was a late riser,” Kakashi tried a smile.

Sakura glowered at him and the expression was so reminiscent of Zabuza’s glare that Kakashi resisted the urge to flinch.

“Why are you up so early young blossom!” Gai asked cheerfully in the face of Kakashi’s lack of words.

“We are going to watch some of the early morning spars,” the beauty answered for them, and even their voice was confusing.

High and sweet enough to be female, but with the hint of depth that could be a male.

“And who might you be, most youthful flower?” Gai asked, grin turned up to one hundred.

“My name is Haku,” they bowed, a polite smile on their lips, “Would you be Maito Gai, sir?”

“I am indeed,” Gai grinned.

“You should join us, Maito,” they said kindly, “Perhaps even join in a spar. Many in Kiri would be happy to see how you hold up against the image of your father.”

Gai had frozen and now it was Kakashi’s turn to speak up and distract from his lack of words.

“Ah, you know of Maito Dai?”

“Anyone who works with one of the Swordsmen does,” Haku said, “He is legendary; the only man to ever confront all Seven swordsman alone fearlessly. That he even managed to kill four of them was absolutely a marvel.”

“They don’t hold a grudge?” Kakashi asked lightly.

“The Swordsmen have changed since then, and any good challenge is respected,” Haku smiled prettily, “Maito Dai is a legend among the swordsmen; one lone man, weaponless and jutsuless, with only taijutsu against our seven greatest warriors. And while he died, we cannot say he lost.”

Gai was motionless beside Kakashi and Kakashi discreetly shifted closer, close enough to touch.

“It gladdens me,” Gai choked out, “To hear my father regarded so highly.”

“Come watch the spars,” Sakura said haltingly as she looked at Maito through her choppy bangs.

“They won’t accuse us of espionage?” Kakashi smiled.

“It’s sparring,” Haku said, “open sparing at that; no one would show anything they didn’t want shown.”

Kakashi nodded and fell instep with the two. Gai followed but there was something distant about his gaze, and his grin was gone. Kakashi brushed their hands together and gave his oldest friend a smile. Gai smiled back and if hit was a bit watery Kakashi said nothing.

The sparring was held in what looked like an amphitheatre, similar to the arena that Konoha used for chunin exams on a smaller scale. There was a ring for opponents and then rough stone benches circling it for anyone who wished to view. A much smaller scale than Konoha’s of course, and the dull grey stone was very different, especially covered in such rich greenery. Konoha was a green place, but the dampness here made for more mosses than Konoha saw. The air was thick with morning fog and Kakashi remembered how Kiri was considered a grey and dreary place, hidden on rocky islands and hidden by fog and clouds almost constantly.

They got some side eye for their Konoha headbands, but the guard that had been tailing them visibly set most people looking the other way. Sakura and her companion led them to one of the upper benches, settling on the stone as two people in the centre of the ring had a grappling match.

“People like watching sparring?” Kakashi asked as he saw a decent amount of men and women sitting on the stones watching the matches with idle curiosity.

He could see no rhyme or reason for when the pairs switched out but there seemed to be some sort of organization as people smoothly switched fighters.

“People like to watch fights,” Sakura said, looking at him from the side, “I think its their main form of entertainment.”

Someone in the ring was punched hard enough his nose broke and blood gushed out. A few cheered. Kakashi watched idly as the matches continued and noted that most of the matches were taijutsu only, with a few small scale jutsu but nothing that could damage the ring. A few Kiri-nin grew bold enough to approach the Konoha group as they watched and Gai was drawn into a match with only the faintest hint of reluctance. His match was quick and done, his opponent not nearly his level of taijutsu. Another Kiri nin took his place and Gai handed five men their asses before he bowed out, returning to Kakashi’s side.

The man who took his place drew blades, two short trench knives and Kakashi felt Sakura’s interest sharpen. Kakashi glanced at his student and her companion as their gazes sharpened on the pair in the ring.

“A friend of yours?” Kakashi tried nonchalantly as he listened to the clash of steel.

Sakura shrugged a non-answer but watched carefully as the men fought. The man with the knives was good. Very good and his opponent left the ring with a few deep gashes. The next man to fight him, who was really a boy judging by his gangly-ness, left with something broken, spitting blood to the roaring approval of the crowd.

Knife man bowed out after that, looking far too satisfied with the blood he wiped off his blazed. His gaze flickered up and Kakashi was careful not to shift closer to Sakura as the man’s gaze zeroed in on her. The man grinned, showing off his teeth and started towards them.

Sakura stood to greet the man, something calm about her posture saying she knew him.

“Kurogane,” the man greeted sounding rather cheerful.

This close Kakashi could see he was older than expected with grey hairs and laugh lines. He looked like a rather cheerful old man but Kakashi knew kiri-nin didn’t grow old without skill to back it up. Only the dangerous grew old here.

“Heard you were leaving,” the man said, eyes flickering over Kakashi and Gai, “It will be a shame to see you leave. I can’t convince you to stay can I? I could even offer you an apprentice ship.”

“I heard your last apprentice died,” Sakura said rather lightly, “Zabuza said something about an ‘accident’ with the knives in a spar.”

“Its not my fault he wasn’t quick enough,” the man said idly, “he didn’t have half the potential you do.”

“Thanks but no thanks,” Sakura shrugged.

“Come on Little Kurogane,” the scared man said cheerfully, “At least give me a spar before you go.”

Sakura didn’t flinch from this man, nor shift away but she stood rather blandly, hands splayed and unmoving. Kakashi eyed the man and very blatantly loomed at Sakura’s side, his posture saying ‘fuck off’. Sakura’s companion, Haku, also leaned forward, face stunning as they smiled at the old man despite the fact that expression held a very blatant threat.

“No thank you Ryuuken,” she said.

“Just one match, for all the training I gave,” the man wheedled, smiling.

“Fuck off,” someone growled.

Momochi stalked forward angrily, posture angled towards aggressive and Haku stepped aside so the man could step up right behind Sakura. Kakashi had heard him approach but was actually more worried for this man who’s posture said he wasn’t about to walk away.

“I’m not talking to you Zabuza,” the old man said with only the faintest hint of condescension.

Kakashi took another half step forwards from beside Sakura, eyeing this man with careful calculation. Momochi didn’t even look at him, his eyes locked on the man.

“Thank you for your training Ryuuken,” Sakura bowed politely, “But I won’t spar with you.”

“Did Zabuza warn you off,” the man sighed sadly, “I promise I won’t break you too much.”

Kakashi resisted the urge to shudder as the man told lies.

“I have enough broken bones,” Sakura said.

The man, Ryuuken stepped closer to his student and Momochi’s growl mixed with Kakashi’s own. Kakashi did not care for Momichi (a vast understatement) but Kakashi was good at categorizing threats and right now this man ranked higher. The old man barely acknowledged them as he looked at Sakura.

“You owe me a fight,” he said, and knives were suddenly in his hand, drawn so smoothly Kakashi had barely noticed.

Kakashi went for a kunai and Momochi’s hand twitched towards his sword but Sakura didn’t even flinch.

“Fuck off, Ryuuken,” his sweet little student snapped voice suddenly deep and harsh, “I don’t owe you shit.”

For a moment there was heavy tension in the air even as Kakashi reeled from such an aggressive switch in personality from his kid.

“What a waste of training,” the old man finally sighed, sheathing his knives, “It would have been such a fun fight.”

“For you maybe,” Sakura snarled, teeth bared, “Come fight me when I’m closer to your level, coward.”

“I’m not a coward,” the old man protested, albeit not very loudly, “Kids are just so much more fun to mess with. More durable in many ways too. I saw how you reacted to your injuries. It’d be so fun to see how you reacted to a broken leg, a broken rib.”

Kakashi’s growl was low and dangerous as he listened to this man nonchalantly talk about how much he wanted to hurt Sakura.

“Fight me in a few years,” Sakura said and her voice was suddenly sugar sweet, “And we’ll see how prettily you sing when it’s your bones breaking.”

The old man snorted and waved a hand as he turned and walked off.

“Fucker,” Momochi said, “I warned you he was an asshole.”

“That’s why I didn’t fight him,” Sakura said.

“I’d like to see it when you can break his bones though,” Momochi added, posture relaxing.

“For you, I’ll break both his hands,” Sakura said cheerfully, “And then let you break his legs.”

Momochi barked out a laugh and grinned at her. Kakashi hovered feeling odd; watching the pair of them was…, it ached in a way because she was supposed to be his student but it was also a breath of relief in another. Because Sakura was alive, and she wasn’t broken. She should have been in Konoha, looking at her team and bantering with them instead of Momichi Zabuza. Kakashi supposed he only had himself to blame; he had lost her and it was only luck she was here at his side again.

“The Mizukage wants to see you. The rest of your team has been told,” Momichi suddenly said, slanting a harsh look at Kakashi and Gai (who had immediately had Kakashi’s back at the appearance of the knives).

“Thank you for passing the message on!” Gai boomed for him, dialing his enthusiasm up in the face of this morning.

Momichi stared at Gai for a long moment, his eyes narrowed with suspicion in the face of such ‘youth, but he merely grunted instead of saying anything else.

“Let’s go Brat,” Momichi said to Sakura instead.

Sakura didn’t complain, didn’t ask where, didn’t do anything but nod and immediately followed like a dog called to heel. Haku was the one to give Kakashi and Gai a polite bow and a smile as they waved them off.

Kakashi stared at Sakura’s back as she trotted off after Momichi Zabuza.

“Let’s go Kakashi,” Gai clapped his shoulder, “The quicker we finish the treaty the quicker we can go home.”

.--.