Kenji kept walking down the dirt road toward Konoha.
Behind them, the ANBU tracking squad dispersed. Two dropped back to maintain a distant shadow on the retreating Akatsuki members while the others returned with Kakashi.
Kakashi caught up beside Kenji and let several seconds pass before speaking.
"'Enough to know you got the answer you wanted,'" he repeated.
Kenji kept his eyes on the road. "Itachi crossed Fire Country three days after Orochimaru's extraction failed. When we stood in that clearing, he didn't ask where Sasuke was being kept. He didn't demand we hand him over."
Kakashi listened, walking in time with him.
"He asked if Sasuke had refused the snake, and he asked what condition he was in," Kenji said. "Once he had those answers, he was perfectly willing to turn around and leave. The conclusion isn't complicated."
Kakashi was quiet for several steps before answering.
"That explains the conversation," he said. "It doesn't explain why you refused to look Itachi in the eye before he ever demonstrated a genjutsu, or how you knew Samehada's specific property before Kisame ever unwrapped it. Or why you spoke to him as if there was a second conversation happening underneath the first."
"You're making me sound mysterious."
"You work very hard to accomplish that yourself," Kakashi said dryly. "And the coma? You implied Itachi didn't intend to hurt him."
Kenji kicked a loose stone off the path. "I'm saying Itachi does things for reasons he doesn't explain."
Kakashi looked at him.
Kenji met his gaze. "You should appreciate the concept."
Kakashi gave him a long sideways look, but whatever question came next stayed unasked.
The village gates came into view a few minutes later.
The Chuunin guards at the checkpoint straightened as they approached. Kakashi looked almost untouched, while Kenji's boots were soaked, his trousers were caked in mud, one sleeve hung partly shredded, and a dark bloodstain spread across the torn side of his custom jacket.
The gate guard looked at Kenji, then slowly shifted his gaze to Kakashi.
"Kisame," Kakashi said.
The guard nodded, asking nothing else.
"Technically," Kenji pointed out, "most of this is fashion damage."
Kakashi kept walking.
Tsunade already knew the Akatsuki pair had withdrawn south. The ANBU had relayed the update through their network before Kakashi and Kenji even reached the gates.
When they walked into the Hokage's office, Shizune was already standing by the desk sorting through the preliminary reports.
Tsunade looked up. Her eyes tracked over Kakashi and stopped entirely on Kenji.
"Why do you look worse than Kakashi?"
"Favoritism," Kenji answered.
"He fought Kisame," Kakashi clarified.
Tsunade looked at Kenji.
"Supervised," Kenji added.
Kakashi gave Kenji one last look before turning back to Tsunade. "They wanted confirmation about Sasuke. Kenji told them the extraction failed because Sasuke refused Orochimaru. Kisame decided to test him after that."
Tsunade's gaze moved briefly to the torn jacket.
"It escalated," Kakashi added.
"Slightly," Kenji said.
Kakashi ignored him. "Itachi stopped Kisame before it went any further. Then he tried a genjutsu on Kenji."
Tsunade's attention sharpened. "Tried?"
"It failed. Twice."
Tsunade leaned forward, her elbows resting on the desk. "Itachi's genjutsu failed?"
Shizune looked up sharply from her paperwork.
"What happened?" Tsunade asked.
"Whatever he tried didn't stick," Kenji said simply.
Kakashi watched him. "Did you break the illusion yourself?"
"No."
Kakashi's eye narrowed. "You didn't use Kai?"
"Didn't need to."
Tsunade tapped the end of her pen once against the desk before pointing it at Kenji. "Until we understand exactly why his technique failed, you are not to interpret this as permission to stare into a Mangekyō Sharingan."
"That was never my plan."
"You fought Kisame because he asked," Kakashi reminded him.
"Different category of bad decision," Kenji said.
Tsunade set the pen down. "Why did you tell Itachi he got the answer he wanted?"
Kakashi said nothing.
"He didn't come to take Sasuke," Kenji said. "He asked whether Sasuke refused Orochimaru and whether he was alive. Once he got those answers, he was willing to leave. That's all I'm saying."
Tsunade watched him for a few seconds before leaning back in her chair.
"That's an interesting amount of interpretation from a short conversation."
"I'm insightful," Kenji said.
"Occasionally by accident," Shizune muttered, not looking up from her files.
Tsunade's eyes moved briefly to Kakashi. He gave the smallest nod, and neither of them said anything more about it.
Kakashi continued with the rest of the encounter. While he described Kisame flooding the clearing, Shizune's gaze dropped to the dark patch across Kenji's side again.
This time she set her papers down and walked over, catching the damaged edge of his jacket between her fingers.
"Careful," Kenji complained. "It's already suffering."
Shizune pulled the fabric aside. Her mouth tightened when she saw the cut underneath; the bleeding had stopped, but it was deeper than Kenji's casual posture suggested.
"What hit you?"
"Samehada."
Shizune stared at the wound, then turned her head very slowly to look at Kakashi.
"I was watching Itachi," Kakashi said.
"He was very supportive," Kenji offered.
Shizune let go of the jacket. "You're coming with me."
Kenji started to say he was perfectly capable of walking home.
"That wasn't a suggestion," Shizune said, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.
The corner of Tsunade's mouth twitched as she waved them away. "Go."
Shizune had Kenji sitting on the edge of an examination table within minutes. She worked without much conversation, cleaning the dried blood from his side before examining the cut more closely.
The wound had already stopped bleeding far more cleanly than it should have. Shizune frowned at it for a moment, then reached for the suture kit.
"Every time I treat you, some other part of your body has learned to do my job first," she muttered.
"You make that sound ungrateful."
"I'm trying very hard not to stab you with the needle," Shizune replied as she threaded the suture.
After that, she went quiet again. Her hands remained steady as she worked, but the usual easy irritation between them had faded.
Kenji watched her tie off the last stitch and reach for the bandage.
"You could at least look injured when you come back injured," she said.
Kenji's smile faded a little. He looked at her properly this time.
He reached out and settled a hand around her waist, drawing her a little closer.
Shizune braced one hand against his thigh rather than pulling away. "Don't. I just bandaged your side."
"You were standing too far away."
"I was six inches away."
"Exactly."
The corner of Shizune's mouth twitched despite herself. Kenji noticed it immediately.
"There it is."
"Don't."
"You almost smiled."
Shizune caught the front of his ruined jacket and kissed him before he could make the mistake of continuing.
There was nothing hesitant about it. Her fingers tightened in his shirt as she pulled him closer, the kiss carrying far more frustration than the one they'd traded in Tsunade's office days earlier.
When she finally broke the contact, Kenji didn't move away.
"That treatment isn't in the hospital handbook," Kenji murmured.
"Neither are you," Shizune said.
She stepped back, turning to the sink to wash her hands. She dried them meticulously on a towel, keeping her back to him.
"You aren't going anywhere strenuous tonight," Shizune instructed, her professional tone slipping back into place.
Kenji smiled. "That sounds like a challenge."
Shizune gave him a withering look over her shoulder. She tossed the towel aside, walked over to the counter, and began gathering her medical bag and personal items.
"I'm coming with you," she said.
Kenji watched her gather the last of her things. "Am I still in trouble?"
Shizune walked to the door and pulled it open, waiting for him to follow.
"Yes."
Kenji slid off the examination table and followed her with a grin.
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