That sigh was permission enough for Sasuke to keep asking, but the words that followed were as good as confirmation; whatever had happened wasn't good, and was bad enough to require a certain level of discretion, but seemed to have left Kakashi still capable of at least some of his usual deceptively relaxed attitude. There was a skill to envy: there was something to be said about managing to present a lack of botheredness.

There was plenty to be learned from Kakashi, as a sometimes-sensei or otherwise, but right now the most important thing was what had happened. Sasuke tugged out his IV with the disregard of someone who had been made to learn how to put one in using himself as a test dummy, twisting the spigot of the drip to stop the flow before crossing the room.

He dropped into the chair by Kakashi's bed with an expectant air.

"Well?"