Chapter Text
When Kakashi arrived home that cold night, tired after the week long recon mission in a border country, he expected a few things.
The large, airy studio loft to be empty of anyone else’s presence. The lights in the steamy bathroom to be off. For some bubbled liquid, dark, splattered on the wooden floors to not be there.
None of these things were as he last left them.
Chakra quickly dampened, he crouched in the entry way. Kunai withdrawn in each hand he began to make his way inside. Could be an ally. Could just as well not. As he got closer to the ajar door, he carefully stepped between the articles of dropped, damp clothes leading to the room. They were dark, shinobi quality. Male by the size and fit.
A foot away now, his enhanced nose crinkled at the sharp increase of scent. Heady. Definitely male by the sweat smell. Plenty of acidic blood. Lake water as well, curiously. He paused and straightened at the door now, water sloshed and a soft thump of flesh hitting porcelain met his cocked ears. Thick tendrils of steam escaped through the gap.
Kakashi’s eye widened in surprise. While the scent wasn’t a regular he associated his comrades with, his hind brain recognized it. Pack? It had changed slightly though. Matured like wine with age and puberty and stress. But the underlying main notes were still there.
That tense aroma just before a thunder storm. Charcoal from a just extinguished fire.
Last the jounin heard, his former student had killed Orochimaru and Kabuto. No one had heard any intel since and that had been 6 months ago. He had just vanished. No towns or underground networks had seen a hair of the youngest Uchiha. His heart hammered against his rib cage now, anticipating a probable fight.
He could feel Sasuke’s low level chakra. Going by the amount of blood he most likely wasn’t suppressing it.
Injured then. His blood, dripped on his floors, from the looks of it slowly separating the polish from the wood as it bubbled. Still a danger. Always a danger.
And made his way into Konoha undetected.
And in his former sensei’s bathroom.
Kakashi gently pushed the door all the way with the edge of his kunai.
Uchiha Sasuke laying all sharp angles and edges in his bathtub. The dirty, dull water filled midway, to a pale thin chest and grey bubbles foamed the surface. White tiles starkly framed his limp oily black hair, a far cry from the usual straightened mess his hair had been at genin level. His leg closest to Kakashi had been propped on the edge of the tub at the knee. A large deep red spot along the side of the once white towel on his calf the probable reason. A small red puddle had appeared on the floor under it. The thick red mixing with the splashed water. Thankfully not damaging the tiles.
Matching the lower injury, Sasuke’s hand flaccidly held other soaked towel to his shoulder on the same side. His limbs were far too thin from the previous image Kakashi had had in his mind. Naruto and Sakura telling him what the Uchiha had grown into last they saw him at the now obliterated Sound base. That Sasuke had been in prime youth. Eye’s emotionless but alert. Skin forever pale, but well-muscled under. A body cared for efficiently as shinobi tended to do. Honed to react. Healthy. At least physically.
This Sasuke obviously wasn’t either now. Breathing slow and labored. Still muscled but more like large tendons strapped over too large bony joints. Like a just born foal. His pale body splattered with abrasions and some sort of dark sticky looking muck. It was everywhere, coated his long limbs and check and reedy neck. There were dark circles under his darker eyes.
Eye. A wary singular Sharingan red eye.
Oh no.
A deep sigh escaped him. Not for mistaking Sasuke as any less of a threat, as the youth seemed to take that action though. His red eye narrowing at Kakashi, wet hand that was gripping the rim tightened. Small mouth turned down and overwrought at the edges. The left eye wound seemed to be old. Not matching the fresh injuries, he was dismally trying to keep dry.
The humid air seemed apt in the current tense stalemate. One grey eye locked onto one red slowly spinning eye. Neither body moved now.
He noted the clenched jaw. Sharp with no lasting baby fat anymore. He seemed like a terrified foal in this instant. Stock still against a perceived threat, mother missing. Knobby joints apprehensive with fight or flight energy. He would have to make the first move. That would determine how this played out. Set the tone. That fact that Sasuke had snuck into Konoha, no less his home and was naked in his bathtub helped his decision. The youth was as defenseless as he was ever going to be in this moment, baring one Sharingan that is.
Kakashi lowered his own lanky form slowly. Gently dropping both kunai on the floor.
They would both know it was a token gesture. A trained shinobi like himself could pick them up and have them embedded in his targets flesh as fast as they had been in his hands the whole time. Dark thick muck stuck lashes obscured Sasuke’s eye as he followed the movement downwards. The younger swallowed then. His long throat spasming as though the action pained him. Breathing eased then. Some, but not all tenseness leaving his visage.
Kakashi eased off his already undone jounin vest, let it also drop to the floor. More for the heat making him prickly than anything else. With Sasuke’s red eye still on him he stepped fully into the white tiled room. Tired as he was before now he was on high alert. He studied the bright red spotted towels now. Just how bad were those fresh wounds? It wouldn’t do to have Sasuke die now.
Slowly, as to not spook the black foal, he squatted next to the bath and reached for the towel draped along his long leg.
He darted his gaze to Sasuke’s, gauging how this action was being taken. The Uchiha was still staring. White of his single eye stark but bloodshot. Not fully trusting Kakashi yet then. Sharingan still spinning. Slower perhaps now with tiredness or trust. More likely the former.
Taking inaction as a sign to continue Kakashi lifted the towel. Gently whistling as it revealed a nasty looking gash along the calf muscle. Not too deep. But it had penetrated the meat. He removed the towel and let it slap heavily to the wet floor. He considered the options.
Either stitch it up raw with his limited skills or slap a medi chakra patch on it for now. He chooses the safer of the two. Sasuke didn’t seem trusting enough as yet to be ok with his former sensei near him with a sharp object.
He twists his body around, and reaches into to the sink cabinet next to him at the head of the tub. He had kept it well stocked during his ANBU times but not as much now. Preferring to take advantage of Sakura’s high skill level for free. Trade off being her human Guinea pig to measure her talent.
Luckily there were still a couple patches left in the basket. Along with some antiseptic and band aids and bandages. He ignores the couple of bottles of various alcohol. He hadn’t needed that in quite some time, for that sort of pain that ANBU had brought at least. To say nothing of the empty bottles in his bedroom. He grabs some more dry towels in there as well. Sitting the basket down next to him he brings the towel up level and looks at his newly found little missing nin.
Sasuke’s vision had followed him the whole time, hence why he deliberately went slow in his action. Broadcasting his intentions loud and clear even though the Sharingan predicts them. He asks the question with a raise of his thin eyebrow, holding the clean towel and patch in his hands. Sasuke stares at him. Calculating. Then after seeming to come to some sort of conclusion he lowers his head slightly.
Kakashi watches as the red bleeds into liquid black. Once bright and eager to learn, Sasuke’s eyes were. Thirsty for any power displayed before them. Quick to absorb. He’s seen many emotions in them over the time they were in his team. Had seen them express almost the whole spectrum.
He’s never seen this awful aching pain revealed now. Tired lines etched into the bags under them.
Sure he was there with Sasuke back then, tying him to that tree and asking him not to leave. To make that choice. He had been in pain then. And so had Kakashi. Pain from not being able to get through to him. Being as damaged as he was, a hypocrite, pulled in too many directions at the time. How was he supposed to help another like him when he couldn’t help himself?
He finds himself swallowing now. That old familiar lump in his throat at emotions he doesn’t know proper words for. Refuses to learn then. Giving them labels often makes them more real he’s found. The jounin begins his task with routine motions now. Falling into classic habits.
Clean and dry the wound. Sasuke makes no movement even though it must be painful. Sanitize the area. He notes Sasuke’s leg to be strangely hairless. A quick cursory glance up the rest of the leg and to his upper body reveal the same lack of hair.
Place and activate medi patch. A small burst of his chakra to the site. The foal’s leg twitches at that. Probably forgotten the feel of his charkra over the last 4 years. Kakashi knew his was nowhere near as abrasive and hot as Naruto’s. But it wasn’t pleasant he has been told. Like rubbing a dog’s short fur, the wrong way. A blunt wooden stick drug across soft skin. A tetchy itch.
Leaving the patch stuck to the leg for now as the charkra seeps into the flesh under it to begin speeding the healing along he meets the Uchiha’s eye again. Kakashi looks pointedly towards the soaked towel draped over his shoulder. This would be a great show of trust from Sasuke now. To let his old teacher up close. Right near his throat. It would show Kakashi just really how Sasuke viewed the situation. How much esteem did he still hold his older teacher? How dire was his exhaustion?
The Uchiha’s expression seemed to agree with Kakashi’s line of thoughts. Sasuke stared at him. Jaw clenching and unclenching. He had that old glint in his eye that Kakashi was used to seeing. When Sasuke had been thinking over a terribly hard problem as a genin. Strategizing the best angle. The least worst outcome.
At least when Kakashi had been at his leg he had the option of soundly kicking his head. Like a skittish foal would at any sound. Up at the torso Kakashi would have a much better angle to grapple the him into submission. Sasuke’s limp hand was barely holding the towel up as it was. The water level soaking from the bottom and the leaking blood causing the material to become heavy. Gravity dragging it downwards along his chest. That seemed to make his decision for him. He lifted his hand off the towel, placing on the other side rim of the tub.
For all the grime and blood and tired aura of the Uchiha, he still managed to look the prince waiting for his servant to wait on him. Regal and poised as most upper clan kids were taught to be. Sasuke still is. Orochimaru hadn’t managed to beat that insolence out of him Kakashi muses. Too ingrained into his very being. He huffs at that thought. Hopeful that Sasuke was still in there somewhere amongst this wary, unnerved appearance. That calm husk that his teammates had described months ago, a far cry from the calm but curious boy he knew and the skittish young man he appeared as now.
The towel starts to slip down so Kakashi jerks to catch it for some reason. Stupid.
The darkened water splashes harshly against the walls of the tub as Sasuke violently flinches at the sudden movement, stupid again, his eye attempts to light red but flickers out. Also stupid. The sudden movement tears the gash across his collarbone more and a fresh spurt of bright blood ruins the water further. The bone is partially bared now; the cut vivisects the middle of it.
Sasuke’s strangled gurgle of pain spurs Kakashi to act again, grabbing a fresh towel and forcing it against his collar bone hard. Sasuke jolts against that movement, makes to stand with his one good leg to escape, but Kakashi presses harder. Forces him down against the tub again. Hot dirty water rises and overlaps the tub rim, drenching the jounin’s front.
Sasuke’s panting again as the water settles. The dripping of it echoes off the tiles. Still very, very skittish. Kakashi supposes he would be too in his position. He lifts the towel slightly to check the wound, seeping blood slowly now. The cut was clean, the bone exposed wasn’t damaged thankfully. Just an incredibly awkward spot to be injured. He ignores Sasuke’s heavy gaze now. Feels around the floor for the basket of healing with his other hand.
He brings up the bottle of antiseptic and tears the cap off with his teeth. Pours it directly into the cut this time instead of dabbing it gently like he did on the leg. Sasuke hisses and faces away, thin tendons in his neck standing at attention, but doesn’t jerk his body away again. Lesson learnt apparently.
Kakashi supposes that behavior warrants a sugar cube if anything. Reinforcement. But what would serve?
He grabs a med patch and but looking back at the wound it would be difficult area to affix it properly. He tears it in two with his mouth again and uses a second patch to create a patchwork looking mess but it’ll stay on well enough this way. He pushes more chakra then necessary to bump the initial healing along. Enough so it doesn’t tear as easily.
How much confidence does he have at this point he wonders. Why is Sasuke in his bathtub in the dead of night? He would have thought he’d have gone straight to Itachi after Orochimaru. Questions for later. He removes the towels from the bath, dropping them on the other to make a bloody soaking pile on the floor. Kakashi spots the handwashing towel up on the sink and grabs it. Grabs the soap up there too.
Still openly ignoring Sasuke’s tense eyesight he begins by lift his arm and starts to rub at the mucky residue that’s coating half his body.
Minutes later when Sasuke hasn’t protested in any way and simply sits there, one leg still propped on the bath edge, and lets Kakashi handle his limbs the jounin thinks this feeling is familiar. Sasuke might even be thinking of the same thing if the Uchiha’s now averted gaze is anything to go by. A slight blush dusting his cheeks.
In the Land of Waves mission. Kakashi had taken them to the nearest inn after to properly sit and gently remove the needles. Each had to come out the exact same way they had entered to prevent permanent damage to either muscle or charkra pathways. It wasn’t exactly pain free. The jounin made the other two teammates stay outside the room. Even going as far as to silence the room with a jutsu. Sasuke was far too young to have mastered the ability to keep quiet through the pain. And Kakashi far too used to comrades scream during ANBU missions to be bothered by it anymore.
After it was done he helped the exhausted Sasuke to the bathroom to shower off the bloodied spots coating his body. Watched as the thin boy swallowed the pain killers, throat bared and spotted from the needle holes. He held him by the arm pits as he weakly washed himself. Kakashi himself staying clothed in his standard pants attire behind him.
Then after, he leaned him against the sink and had gently dried him. He had grasped his hands and crouched in front of him. Eye level. Two dark and hollowed irises stared at his own tired grey hooded eye. A greater man might’ve said some nicer words. Should have. His own sensei would’ve know what to say. To smooth over the pain. Heal instead of hurting. How do you comfort a child when you’ve never been comforted as a child yourself?
At a loss in that moment the words stuck in his throat. Unable to escape. Still unable to bear his own vulnerability in solidarity to another’s. Especially Sasuke’s. He felt Sasuke’s pain keenly as though it were his own some times. That aching loneliness of loss.
In his apparent distress he almost didn’t register that the boy had taken his hands from him, and was now hugging around his neck.
He whispered okay.
The child reassuring the adult. He had felt like a failure many times in his life. That moment was up there. Sasuke had always been a kind child. Kakashi read the psych reports from before and after the massacre. That ordeal had greatly smothered Sasuke’s ability to express that selflessness. Hadn’t shown it again until being placed on Team 7. Naruto had brought it out. Seeing Naruto be treated so awfully triggered him to action. Feeding Naruto. Defending him against Sakura’s rant. Almost giving his life to save him.
Comforting a broken Kakashi, who was unable to comfort him. Blushing lightly as he released Kakashi’s neck, avoiding eye contact and tiredly accepting the towel to wrap around him the jounin picked him up bridal style to place him back into the bed to sleep the ache away.
Kakashi was sure they were both thinking the same thing now as he gently pushed the Uchiha’s shoulders forward and soaped his hair. The youth bent, arching his exposed spine. Kakashi then wiped his back clear of the muck, using a bit of force to get the thicker area off. He must’ve picked it up from however he had gotten into Konoha. The jounin knew the defense planning could get creative when they had the budget. Coupled with the lake water scent he got earlier Kakashi thinks he must’ve swam through the water pipe system under the mountain.
Clever. Also deadly if the Uchiha’s state is anything to go by. A chuunin would’ve drowned. Jounin most likely not. But Sasuke’s charka was very low. He would be running on fumes soon judging by the slump of his limbs the more he relaxed now.
Kakashi lightly pulled him back against the tub. Handing him the wash cloth to wash his front and crotch by himself with what was left of the cooled bathwater. He made himself busy with clearing the bloodied mess of towels and clothes in the meantime. Carefully avoiding the darker blood areas he dropped them into the trash can in the corner. He heard Sasuke was now immune to poison and the bubbling wood lacquer in the hallway suggested his blood had also been altered somewhat by his old Sannin sensei.
The splash of water drew his attention back to the tub.
Sasuke was staring balefully at him now, dark wet hair dripping sadly.
What now? He seemed to ask with that look beneath his brows.
Kakashi moved closer and reach down to grasp his arm leaving Sasuke to decide how much he wanted to be helped up and out. A lot it seemed as Kakashi was left to support most of his weight, Sasuke simply holding his hand tightly around the jounin’s forearm. He was hesitant to put weight onto that injured leg, hopping onto the other after he was basically lifted out of the bath and placed down, unabashed by his wet nudity.
Kakashi moved to the side cupboard to get yet another large fresh towel. He was going through an awful lot it appeared. Sasuke didn’t let go, still using him as support. The Uchiha wrapped the towel around himself twice, leaving his hair sopping and dripping. Kakashi sighed and pulled the last towel out of the cabinet to roughly rub across his head. Hopefully that would express just how peeved his was at his towel situation.
It did as it drew the first words Sasuke had spoken to him in years out from that frowning mouth.
‘Stop it.’ He spat out, batting Kakashi’s hands away. His voice, deepened from age, drew Kakashi’s eyebrow to his hairline. He still stressed the vowels the same way he always had. A small but unique Uchiha quirk he was among the last two people to have. But gone was the lazy Konoha hard drawl consonant sounds. Instead the Sound accent had taken over. Clipped but clear and restrained.
The towel now draped around his neck he stood next to Kakashi in the cooling bathroom in the early hours of the morning. Just below eye level now. All length like himself. But none of the muscle or width it seemed. Shoulders yet to broaden out if they ever would as much as his own at least.
Catching himself, he stared at Kakashi as he thought himself mistaken.
Not a curious foal.
Not a hardy stallion yet, neither.
A wary, whip shy colt.