"My report," Ginta said quietly. "In my report, I'll have to tell them she broke. I don't know what she could have told them, but someone will need to know. She was Intel. I was just the weapon on this mission..." He trailed off, lost for a moment in the echoing heat of fever and exhaustion.

Kakashi's hand stilled for a moment, then brushed again over Ginta's forehead to push his hair back, gentle and rhythmic.

"She was in command on this mission. She sent me to check out the sleeping quarters for the ninja guarding the place, and I don't know what she did, but while I was there, there was a general alarm and the Taki nin just went insane, scrambling around. When I got back to where I was supposed to rendezvous with her, she was already captured."

Kakashi probably didn't care, but at least he didn't tell Ginta to shut up.

"I spent six and a half hours trying to find a way to get her out from the outside, then I let them take me, too, so I could spring her from the inside." He laughed humorlessly. "Don't let anyone ever tell you Waterfall ninja treat their guests well." There was another empty space, where Ginta breathed and hurt, and Kakashi sat like a stone Buddha, listening. Hand still stroking Ginta's hair back as if he'd forgotten he was doing it.

"We took down their captain and his lieutenant. Took down six of them that were guarding us. We got away. We almost got away. She was right there beside me... And then she wasn't. They brought in reinforcements. A lot more men than we expected."

The clone rattled something in the tiny kitchen, preparing rice. Outside the wind hit their hideout again, rocking it like a baby's cradle.

"I'm like you, you know," Ginta murmured. "I usually take solos."