Mountain Girl [Naruto]

Chapter Two

Eventually Ketsu returned, much to the group's discomfort as a large gust of icy wind entered the house. Sakura shivered and pulled the edges of the coat into her body, then stood up and sat on one of the flat cushions that surrounded the low table, to be joined by a loyal Naruto only moments later.

In her left hand, Ketsu held a sac of meat, tails and limbs from the butchered animals and a few bones. With the other the skins. Blood was coating her hands like gloves and seeping through the bottom of the sac to drip on the floor. Sakura gagged at the smell and Naruto crinkled up his nose in distaste.

She greeted them with a simple nod and brought her sac to the crudely made kitchen. The bench top was made of an unsettled wood that still had bumps and holes on it's surface. She drew out a clay pot from the cupboard beneath the sink, if you could call it that. The sink was made of a smoothed rock, without a tap or drain (so just a recession). Using a cracked cup, Ketsu scooped out some water from a wooden barrel beside the kitchen. Frost had already formed on the top, meaning it was chilled to a freezing point.

The recently carved meat and water went into the pot, along with a few leaves, also from the cupboard beneath the sink. With the pot in one hand, she used her free one to open the grate of the stove. A bout of warm air filled the hut, curling around all the bodies inside like mist. It was only for a moment since Ketsu quickly shoved the pot in and onto a tray that sat just above the flames.

The grate shut with a loud click! and Ketsu sighed. She knew the meal probably wouldn't be as good as what they were used to, or anything even remotely similar to what they were used to. Plain meat, a few weak leaves and water didn't exactly make the best broth. Next, she began on the medicine for Kakashi.

From behind her, Sasuke watched with crossed arms and a stern expression. She used the marrow of the dead animals, a varying array of roots, some sort of brown powder and a strip of stringy white bark. Using a stone bowl and a mixer made of a similar stone, she mashed the ingredients together. In all honesty, the scent of the medicine was horrifying. Rotting flesh and burnt toast were the main smells, which did not combine very well. What disgusted Sasuke most, however, was when Ketsu required the marrow, she scraped it out using a scraggly stick, then licked the blood off of her pale knuckles.

He very much thought she looked to be a Uchiha, but even to him she was scary. Wild strands off dark hair fell in front of her face as she ground the stone utensil into the ingredients, mashing them up against the walls of the bowl until it became a watery paste. The reddish brown hue that floated on top reminded him of the bloody marrow she had included in the mix.

A dangerous smirk flashed on Ketsu's face, as she had known Sasuke had been silently watching her. Flipping her unruly hair over her shoulder and looking him dead in the eye, she said, " Don't worry, you'll get some too."

Stepping lightly, she crossed the room to the sensei, Kakashi. Sasuke glared nastily at the dark haired as she passed before uncrossing his arms and leaning against the dark wall. The moment Kakashi caught wind of the medicine's 'delicious' scent, his face instantly wrinkled up in disgust behind his mask. 

Surprisingly for both Kakashi, and his genin, Ketsu assisted him in sitting upright properly. She paced her bony hands between his shoulder blades and helped him up. The shock was clear on the two more emotional of the group. Passing him the bowl, she then sat on the far edge of the bed.

" You'll only need about half a mouthful and should be better in roughly two days." She told him.

He cocked an eyebrow. " Should? What happens if I don't get better in two days?"

" I think you'll probably end up dead," Ketsu's nonchalant shrug made him pale. " But don't worry, you don't seem to be too far ahead with the Death."

" R-Right, guess I should drink it." He mumbled, earning him a 'no, duhhh?' look from Ketsu. He turned with an expectant look on his face to the rest of his team. They knew the drill and quickly turned away.

Ketsu, however, remained unchanged. Just as he was about to remove his dark navy mask, he hesitated and waited for Ketsu to avert her eyes. Staring blankly at him, she waited for him to lower his mask and consume the medicine. " Er, do you mind?"

" If you're going to be staying with me, you're goin' to have to let me see your face." Adopting a thoughtful expression, which he had to admit looked rather cute on her, she placed a bony finger to her chin. " Or no medicine for you."

Kakashi instantly tensed, then smiled awkwardly. " Are you really ganna threaten me, JUST to see my face?" He joked. Seeing her deathly serious look and mouth turned a little as a frown, he realized she was completely serious. 

" Yes." He sweat dropped.

In one swift motion, he lowered his navy mask, pushed the bowl to his lips, drank half a mouthful of the foul concoction and set the mask back on it's rightful position on his face. Despite his speed, Ketsu had caught sight of his face. Afterwards he gaged.

" You're to pretty to be a boy." The bluntness of the comment made Kakashi blush from embarrassment . Being  called 'too pretty to be a boy' was basically the same as being called a girl. Behind Ketsu, Sakura and Naruto's jaws hung limply. All were shocked, even Sasuke though he didn't show it. " Kind of reminds me of my cousin. He's really pretty, so heaps of people think he's a girl. I'm actually kinda jealous of him." She mumbled the last part.

Then they connected the dots. This was why Zabuza wanted Ketsu to have the scroll so badly, why he said he took Haku away from her and why, all of a sudden, the resemblance was realised. Haku was Ketsu's cousin. They had killed her cousin.