| [May. 11th, 2008|07:27 pm] |
In ordinary circumstances Kakashi would've countered that he was perfectly capable of keeping his own head above water, thank you very much, and Haruichi could take his acid wit and sit on it. But these weren't ordinary circumstances, and he wasn't currently capable of keeping his vision straight, let alone not drowning without Haruichi's slim shoulder braced under his own. Kakashi's broken arm hung in the water, heavy and painful and useless. His other hand was tangled in Pakkun's necktie, keeping the little dog close to them. "I'm c-calm," he snarled, losing his temper at water and pain and Mist-nin that did not know when to quit. Cold made his words shake, breaking up around chattering teeth and shuddering lungs. Kakashi clenched the former, tried to take deeper breaths with the latter. "W-witness my calm."
Ceiling height meant they probably wouldn't drown--if Haruichi was right--and human limits meant the Mist-nin definitely couldn't keep their attack up forever. So it was a question of chakra; Haruichi's versus theirs. One medic-nin who'd run for twelve hours, performed a complex series of healing jutsu, and was now supporting his own weight in rising water, as well as Kakashi's, against what had been two Mist-nin and was now probably twelve.
There wasn't a word for how screwed they were.
For once, Kakashi didn't say that. Haruichi had worked too hard, he didn't deserve to hear it. Instead the copy-nin pulled Pakkun close, tucking the little body against his chest until the dog could anchor himself by biting into the cloth of Kakashi's shirt. Then he let go and braced that same hand against the wall. He had no chakra to spare sticking himself the same way Haruichi had, but at least he could take a little weight. Green light flickered, pulling up lined shadows under the water. The glo-stick strapped to Kakashi's broken arm, and the few tucked into Haruichi's armour, were the only light source in the cave.
Water rose, seeping up Kakashi's chest. It passed his lungs, crept up his ribs, and swallowed his collarbones. He gasped as the cold stole what little body heat he'd managed to conserve, and squeezed against his torso, compressing his chest. It was just water, but the weight made it hard to breathe. "I--c-can't--believe--y-you--came--back--to--to--ANBU," he managed, and tried to ignore the lack of feeling in his ankle. There was nothing there, he could snap it off against a rock and not know. "You--regret--it--y-yet?"
One mission in. He wouldn't be the first.
Haruichi didn't have time to give an answer. The water surged, rising up in a swell that splashed the ceiling and swallowed them both. Kakashi didn't panic; he didn't have time. Mostly he began to drown. |
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