Dying, someone had said. Kakashi heard the word undercut by a low double chuckle, and the higher snap of Haruichi's voice. He couldn't make sense of anything but that one word.

He hadn't believed in gods for years, but somewhere in the bleeding mess of his soul, he found the echo of a prayer. One that said: let it be over soon.

He didn't care how it ended anymore, just as long as it ended.

"Wake up, kid!" Pakkun's snarl snapped around the clearing, sharp as a breaking tree limb. His small weight smashed hard into Kakashi's good shoulder, axing pain through him like a hot katana. Kakashi jerked, choking, and tried to roll sideways. Pakkun kept shoving him, small legs digging deep into leaf mulch. Above them, fire scorched the air, lashing down to strike the earth where he'd lain a moment before. A scent like burning ozone and cooking plan matter rose up, bringing black smoke with it. Kakashi's back hit a tree, shredding a new cry from him.

"Watch it, Noburo!" One of the Mist-nin glared at his partner. "We can't get anything from him if you roast him, idiot!"

Noburo spun a kunai in both hands. "We'll get enough from his pipsqueak protector," he answered, and threw both kunai. They ripped through the air towards Haruichi, bringing more flame with them as he called another fire jutsu into existence.

"Dammit, Noburo!"

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Yes, damnit Noburo! Have a care, Haruichi mimicked in his mind's eye as he stepped sideways, pivoted on his heel in a perfect spin, snagged out his katana and used the centrifugal force of a jyuuken-speed spin to swing the blade broadside right into the first of the superheated steel fireballs that had been headed for his heart. Sending it flying like a shooting star and just as burning bright.

Like hell he'd been about to touch that thing with his hands. Before he'd finished his swing its partner zipped over his shoulder, missing his body mass - benefit of being a pipsqueak - and singing a black blistered trail along the cheek of his mask before causing far more serious cosmetic damage to the other Mist nin's face.

And he'd thought Haruichi couldn't see him sneaking up behind him. As the more cautious of the pair crashed screaming to the ground with a flaming dagger in his left eye socket Haruichi didn't so much as lower his katana - the poor weapon still shrilling metallic protest at the use he'd put it to - and raced forward to meet Noburo blade to blade. The huge man cursed in pure fury and slammed his own twinned tantos against Haruichi's side-swiping katana with enough force to break the medic's arms had he not seen it coming and twisted his angle.

There was a momentary battle of strength where the steel clashed, of who could hold their ground, and it was very momentary - Haruichi was sent spinning in one direction and his katana in another. There was just enough time to hear a deep-chested snort before Haruichi, bare handed and spinning like any good Hyuuga, wheeled sharply in on the unpredictable arc of a toy top and slammed three fingers - two index, one thumb - and a spiral of chakra into his enemy's gut.

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Someone was screaming. For once it wasn't Kakashi. He held himself still and silent, biting the inside of his cheek bloody in an attempt to gain control over whimper that wanted to crawl out of his throat and never, ever stop.

"Damn, brat." Pakkun's low rumble grated into his ears as metal rang against metal. "You need to open your eyes and look at this. Medic-boy fights weirder than you do--ohshit."

Kakashi had been a ninja for fifteen years. He knew the sound of steel biting into flesh better than he did the sound of his own name. The snap of a bone. Under the ripple of pain chewing through every nerve he possessed, his heart skipped a beat. "'kun.. wh't?"

Pakkun's breath blew a hot flush over his face as the dog turned to him. "Hold on, kid. Haruichi took a strike. The other two are down. I'll be right back." Kakashi didn't have time to say anything else before he was gone with a scatter of leaves.

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