[Closed] I've had all I can take.

[scarecrowboy]

Who: Kakashi Hatake & Yamato. (Once the fight is over anyone can jump in and feel free to see them/witness the carnage or whatever. I'll make a separate comment thread when that comes about, probably.)
When: September 16.
Where: Konoha, outside Hokage Tower and then to a training ground after they've finished lowering everyone's opinion of 'capable' shinobi.
What: Kakashi has been brooding for a while now, and it's all coming to a head.



It had been the first time in his life he'd ever asked for a vacation, for a break, for a pat on the shoulder and a 'don't worry about it, Kakashi, take as long as you need'. He didn't ask for much, though he supposed a break after a few weeks of little to no mission-action was a bit of a strange ask, but since it was his first request for time off in all his years of being a shinobi, he didn't think there would be much of a problem. He probably deserved it after only ever being forced into medical leave in the past.

He'd trailed all the way up to the Hokage's Office with his paperwork that he'd avoided handing in for the past few weeks, and his excuses laid out straight and clear - a harmless visit to Uzushio to check up with his secret student and her newly acquired ninken. Obito just had to stamp and sign a goddamn scroll and everything would have been fine, but no. Upon entering the room his friend had greeted him, but when Kakashi's question aired the man had looked up at him, wilted horribly and told him that he'd only just got back from spending a month there, did he really want to go back already?

God damn it.

He could see the man was visibly crushed, could see the hesitance and the sadness in his eyes, like a kicked puppy.

Kakashi's heart had ached seeing that, and had left on a whip crack reflex, body flickering out of the tower in a puff of smoke.

The more he thought about it though, the more he couldn't stand the idea that Obito had used his weakness against him, and as he descended the stairs from the levels of the tower toward the ground floor... he only got angrier.

Comments

[mokutonno]

Yamato had been on his way to Hokage tower, intent on arranging the paperwork that would include himself and Neji on the next ANBU duty roster when he saw him.

A familiar figure shouldered his way out the main entrance with more force than was probably necessary for the hinges and Yamato knew instantly that his instincts from the night before hadn't been off, no matter how much his former captain had misdirected.

That body language couldn't just be due to what he suspected was a pretty impressive hangover, that he knew for certain; Kakashi never broadcast his emotions unless he wanted to or, something was truly the matter and Yamato was willing to bet on the latter, given what he had gathered so far.

So it was with some amount of false cheer and furious squashing of his survival instinct, that Yamato hailed the older man as he drew close, sharp grin firmly in place.

"Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the Hokage's bed this morning. You look like hell, Kakashi-senpai!"

He braced for impact.

[scarecrowboy]

He was deliberating going straight home or going for a very angry walk, probably to train or brood some more, and then a voice he recognized yanked him back into the real world be the scruff of his neck.

He didn't appreciate that for a start, his hangover headache and already awful mood souring his usually polite attitude and turning him bitter and vicious.

At Yamato's words, Kakashi's brain seemed to regress into white noise.

Kakashi punched him square in the jaw.

It didn't take a second, not a single moment of thought. Kakashi let his hand jut out directly at the smug smile and irritatingly happy aura Yamato put forward and decided he loathed every little thing about it all at once.

[mokutonno]

It had been some amount of years since he had, quite literally, taken a jab from Kakashi on the chin and time was no help at all in lessening the pain.

Yamato reeled, kept his footing and snapped his head back round to meet his senpai's murderous gaze, nonchalantly spitting blood on the ground between them.

He grinned around the throb in his jaw, teeth red "..I'm guessing he made you take the couch then?" and tensed for the next blow.

[scarecrowboy]

Kakashi took the front of his flak and swung the younger man bodily around himself with a surprising show of strength despite their obvious size difference. He slammed Yamato's back into the woodwork of the tower so that the gate beside him threatened a small shudder. Kakashi ignored it, however, deciding instead to glare a one-eyed dagger at Yamato, his gaze intense and icy.

"Shut your mouth."

His words came out more like a hiss than anything else.

[mokutonno]

He pivoted with the swing, more used to Kakashi throwing him around than he'd like to admit and sunk the impact with his shoulders, limiting the winded feeling and forged on.

"Wow, I guess it makes sense, I mean, how would all three of your ego's fit into such a tiny bed? He'd have to bench one of you and it's not going to be Gai."

Okay, that was probably a bit far given Yamato's current position, but he knew Kakashi wouldn't commit unless he turned the right emotional blade just so and this particular brawl between them was a long time coming.

[scarecrowboy]

That was the last straw. People were starting to stare, almost crowding around them as Kakashi's fist tightened in the collar of Yamato's flak; shinobi and civilian alike looking at the pair of them with equal parts fear and curiosity.

"He'd have to bench one of you and it's not going to be Gai.."

Kakashi's anger roared in his chest and without a second thought or word of warning he whipped his hold around, gripping the back of Yamato's collar instead of the front and barged past the small crowd forming around them, dragging Yamato behind him like an unruly dog.

[mokutonno]

Yamato stumbled, struggling in Kakashi's hold and managing to twist free, but not before being towed along half the courtyard.

One his feet again, he noted the crowd and understood the other man's intention, but he'd be damned if he would let himself be manhandled away like an unruly two year old in front of them.

Instead, he shoved Kakashi away and flickered to the rooftop, intent on reaching the nearest training ground before they could clash again.

[scarecrowboy]

Civilians were still staring around as if trying to work out if this were some sort of demonstration. Shinobi fights rarely happened away from training grounds - in fact they didn't happen - but Kakashi couldn't waste any time being self conscious or wary of his reputation now, especially not as he watched Yamato flounce away from him with that smug look on his face.

What right did Yamato have to jeer at him like that? When he had no-one else to turn to for comfort, his one source of friendship was doing /this/.

His blind rage distracted him from the fact that Yamato was the only one he could talk to, since he couldn't very well talk to Gai or Obito because his problem involved them both, and for fear that either might cry. Yamato was giving him exactly what he needed - anger in retaliation. He'd tasted it just a little when Obito had shouted back at him the previous night, but there hadn't been nearly enough to sate him before the tears started.

Even remembering how Obito looked when he cried made Kakashi angry all over again, and he dispelled the thought from his mind to follow Yamato up onto the roof.

[mokutonno]

Yamato knew he didn't have much time; Kakashi was already hot on his heels and would be within his strike range all too soon.

Flitting from roof to roof, he used every short cut he knew to extend the space between them and even then, barely keeping ahead.

Kakashi was known for his speed and in a foot race, Yamato was outmatched, but he was counting on the other man's head space to play in his favour; anger made Kakashi sharp, but it also made him easy to lead.. Until the Sharingan came into play that is.

He silently prayed that Kakashi would hold off until they touched down for that at least.

[scarecrowboy]

Yamato was right in assuming Kakashi's emotions would get the better of him now; the anger blinding him to everything about the situation other than how much it annoyed him that Yamato was running away. He didn't care where they were going, what Yamato's intentions were or even what his own were.. He just wanted to expel this awful heaviness that had lifted a little when his fist made contact with Yamato's jaw.

It wasn't fighting back, though... and Kakashi knew Yamato was capable enough, better than anyone else. That's why he followed.

[mokutonno]

Yamato touched down, skidding in the packed dirt of the training field and rounding on Kakashi's incoming figure.
The thrill of doing this again had adrenalin rushing through his system and the smug tilt of his mouth wasn't just all an act.

[scarecrowboy]

Kakashi landed without much recognition for where they were, and gave Yamato a hard but defiant look as their eyes met across from one another. This was so reminiscent of their younger days it was almost jarring... but Kakashi remembered the release that came with fights like these.. and he craved it.

[mokutonno]

As soon as Kakashi landed, Yamato attacked. Holding back wasn't going to work here, not after so long and he knew the Jounin would expect him to be on the defensive, but not this time.
Yamato closed the space between them, falling into old patterns and a flurry of blows that he knew would be met in kind.

"This is what you wanted wasn't it?"

[scarecrowboy]

He woke a while later in a clean room, the smell of disinfectant and cleanliness strong in his nostrils, and the lights turned up so high he wondered how he'd ever gotten to sleep in the first place...
And then the ache in his sides and the fact that he couldn't actually move his body brought the memory cartwheeling back into his consciousness, and he groaned audibly both from the pain and the amalgamation of guilt, pain and embarrassment that the memory sparked.

He was grateful for the sheet tucked over his face, but he could feel it slipping down his nose.

Absently, he wondered how long it might have been till someone came by to tell him how long he had to wait here to regain the use of his limbs.

[mokutonno]

He'd been poked, prodded and thoroughly berated since dragging himself and Kakashi to the hospital and had definitely had enough.
The Jounin keeling over had Yamato panicked more than he cared to admit, but it was only to be expected considering what they had put each other through and he'd got them seen to without further damage.

He was now nursing a tightly wrapped arm, bruised ribs and numerous superficial injuries and risking further chakra exhausting by leaving a mokuton clone in his bed to slip the iron rule of the medic-nin.

Ghosting down the hallway, Yamato snagged a surgical mask from an unmanned trolley and ducked into the only room carrying the weak but familiar throb of Kakashi's chakra, locking the door behind him with a sigh.

"..Senpai?"

He held the blanket round his shoulders and the mask close, voice quiet and timid as he peered at the occupied bed, trying to gauge if the other man had woken up yet.
Yamato was almost certain that he was the last person Kakashi would want to see right now, but he couldn't let this fight fester and his exhaustion leant him the courage he needed to visit in the first place.

[scarecrowboy]

Kakashi blearily opened his unscathed eye, blinking vaguely in Yamato's direction till their gaze met. He'd recognized his voice, of course, but.. It was hard to actually believe that the younger man was really here, after the things they'd thrown at one another..

He nodded mutely to allow the other closer, unable to use his arms as he was, but only managed to jerk his head slightly and shift the blanket more till it dislodged and slipped off the end of his chin. Instantly flushing and without a mask to hide it, Kakashi cleared his throat to distract from the motion.

"Ten-" he started, then inhaled on the tail of his mistake. "Yamato.."

[mokutonno]

He smiled softly, relieved that Kakashi wasn't ordering him away as he'd feared and shuffled close enough to settle on the edge of the bed.

Yamato held up the mask, as good a peace offering as he could provide given the circumstances and leant in, telegraphing his moves to give Kakashi enough warning of his intent.

The Jounin was just as beat up, but looked considerably better than he did a few hours previous and Yamato broke one of the bigger graces between them; openly studying Kakashi's face, memorising the straight lines of his jaw, he nose, the thin curve of his mouth, all details that he'd almost destroyed.

The thought flickered across his features, smile marred by the heaviness of regret for a moment, before morphing back to fond, if a little wistful.
With careful hands, Yamato hooked the mask behind Kakashi's ear, drawing it across his face and let his thumb brush across the pale stretch of the older man's lips- a telling indulgence he'd never allowed himself previously- before covering it fully and drawing away.

His expression turned helpless then and Yamato dropped his head, hands tangling in his blanket once more.

"..I'm sorry."

[scarecrowboy]

The peace offering almost made him chuckle, but for fear that it would only make his side ache worse, he limited himself to a small twitch of the lips to indicate a smile. He'd never smile his widest without his mask off - not in public, not like this. Besides, when all said and done he was rather glad for his shyness and/or paranoia, since Yamato was feeling bold enough to actually look at his face this time..

Usually Kakashi was used to Yamato politely averting his gaze, leaving the jounin to eat or drink or re-mask himself without too much worry for being looked at.. The fact that Yamato chose now to keep his gaze intent and steady was very poignant. He noted also that Yamato wasn't just looking at his face - he was studying it, like he was trying to commit the way Kakashi looked to memory.... and he didn't have to be a genius to understand why, to notice that little flicker of darkness in Yamato's gentle expression.

Yamato's hands were soft and gentle in their movements, an almost surprising contrast to how lethal and hard they'd been before. It was.. nice.. to be touched like that without flinching away (because he couldn't if he tried, but also because he didn't actually want to). Without the use of his arms he felt embarrassed and useless, but Yamato didn't make that worse even when he did do things for him.. That was telling.

"You don't need to be sorry. Like you said, I did ask for this.." Kakashi said, shaking his head just a little, tiny fraction.

[mokutonno]

His gaze flickered up but he couldn't maintain the eye contact for long and looked away, voice soft in the quiet.

"..I almost killed you."
He winced at the admission but Yamato couldn't see the point in dancing around the subject any more; they'd done that for the past five years and look where it had got them?

The 'almost' was the important part though and he thanked everything for the fact that they were both still warm and breathing, if a little worse for wear. Subconsciously he shifted closer, pressing against Kakashi's thigh and letting a little of the tension he was feeling, bleed out with the contact.

[scarecrowboy]

"Almost," Kakashi reminded him with a serious look attempting to make itself known amidst his tired expression. "And I almost killed you. If there's any blame to be shared here it should be equal between us."

Kakashi wasn't afraid to admit he'd almost killed his friend, but that definitely didn't mean he wasn't entirely ashamed. The last thing he wanted to do was come this close to losing Yamato again, and all he wanted was to be able to reach out and lift his chin; that look and that soft voice hurting more than any previous blows had.

"We got carried away and I was.. frustrated. I'm sorry for taking that out on you."

[mokutonno]

He shrugged off the apology, still struggling to actually look at Kakashi.

"We're both guilty of that.." Shame burnt hotly under his skin as Yamato thought over what he had said, the things he had thrown at the other man, like well honed kunai.

"..I was no better. I knew you needed the fight but..I used it to vent my own grievances too and lost my head."

In the past, they'd been careful to pick those battles carefully, for exactly the reason that they both got carried away with their own tempers and Yamato had lost that thread almost immediately.
It had hurt though, how easy and normal it had been to just fit back into each others lives, like nothing had happened and he'd tried to bury it with the past where it belonged..unsuccessfully apparently.

[scarecrowboy]

Kakashi could practically smell the shame radiating off the younger man and, keeping his sharingan resolutely closed, he regarded him with an almost sympathetic look.

"You obviously needed the fight too.. Our fights are so often about me, it was about due time you had your turn.." he mumbled, his emotional and physical weariness evident in his voice. He was done with fighting how he felt, and while his body disagreed with the ferocity of the lesson, he was thankful for the fight. He felt... lighter, and that was something at least.

[mokutonno]

Yamato huffed a laugh at the notion of something like that being 'his turn' but was grateful for the sentiment at least. He nodded, sniffling wetly with emotion and hating himself so much for how close he was to tears; relief, sadness, everything finally finding an outlet and shifting that ache from under his ribs after all this time.

"I was so sure that you'd never want to see me again and then you were just there, smiling and responding like it was only yesterday.."

Yamato paused, sucking in a breath and summoning a smile from the warmth growing inside of him ".. I guess Obito did make sure we'd speak again, afterall."

[scarecrowboy]

Kakashi's eyebrows pulled together. Yamato looked so reminiscent of the gentile little thing he'd been in ANBU right now that it made Kakashi's head spin and his chest tighten. To everone around, Tenzou had seemed so dependant on Kakashi back then, but he'd also been so strong and now even though emotion seemed to be getting the better of him Kakashi could tell there was still strength there. He'd never doubt that about Yamato again, not after he'd doubted him enough to leave him and almost ruin their friendship forever. He'd had no idea how close he'd come.

"...What do you mean?" Kakashi asked, frowning just slightly at the mention of Obito. Not only did hearing his name make Kakashi's heart twinge slightly, but it also confused him that Yamato mentioned him so often. "What does Obito have to do with you and me?"

[mokutonno]

Ah..It was probably time to come clean about that too.
Yamato had the decency to look somewhat shamefaced, the threat of tears drying up enough for him to be completely honest.

"..I met Obito when I was fifteen. He'd taken an interest in the 'girl' that he'd seen you going on mission with and tailed me for almost two weeks before actually talking to me." He smiled softly at the memory and at the quiet evenings that had followed that first meeting before continuing.

"Obito kept an eye on you, all throughout ANBU and at first I thought he only wanted to talk to me to keep tabs on you but, after that first conversation, he asked very little about you and we grew close.."

Yamato bit his lip then, drawing up the memories of the night he'd gone looking for answers and swallowing thickly at the pain those thoughts still held.

"..He caught me that night. Walked right in while I was reading the mission report. He tried to dissuade me but, I was more stubborn than he expected. We talked about it and Obito tried to comfort me in his own way, saying that you were okay and healing, but it hurt more than helped.."

He trailed off then, reluctant to reveal anything more than what was necessary of that night, some things were not his to tell after all.