Concern

Hatake Kakashi (elite Jōnin of Konohagakure, ex-ANBU Captain, Copy-Nin Kakashi, Kakashi of the Sharingan) appeared in a shunshin at Training Ground 3, hand raised and an absent, "Yo" passing through his lips even as his one revealed eye was trained studiously on page 67 of Icha Icha Paradise, analyzing the diagram of Aiko as she arched in a position most kunoichi would struggle with and-

His genin weren't yelling.

Glancing up, Kakashi started to pout at the lack of a dual screech of, "you're late!" followed by a reluctant grunt of agreement. His childish action was stopped when he actually took stock of the display before him.

Uzumaki Naruto (short, loud, and a painful to look at clone of his parents) and Uchiha Sasuke (a toxic mix of angst, brooding, and revenge) were both gazing at their lone female teammate. Dual looks of incomprehension and faint worry were clouding their features, the latter an emotion Kakashi hadn't realized his little avenger was even capable of feeling. Turning his own gray eye to little Haruno Sakura (obsessive, emotional, and weak-willed) Kakashi resisted the urge to step back.

Yesterday they had all departed in separate directions (Sasuke to train, Naruto for his afternoon dose of ramen, and Sakura with an excuse of chores) but each were fairly healthy if a bit dingy from rolling around in the dirt.

The two boys were still alright, perfectly healthy and fit.

The girl...not so much.

Kakashi honed in on the bandaged hands, his heightened senses taking in the stench of liberal usage of aloe vera. He couldn't see the skin due to the swath of fabric covering from fingertip to a few inches past her wrists. There was a disturbingly pale cast to the preteen's features, the minuscule smile (fake fake fake) doing nothing to hide the pained winces from slipping through her facade. She had changed outfits too, her qipao dress replaced with a baggy red shirt and long pants.

Seeing as Kakashi had not taken a mission past D-rank after the disastrous Chūnin Exams, there was no way for Sakura to sport an injury. She had not challenged Sasuke's Katon jutsu in unsupervised training - judging from the Uchiha's blatant confusion, anyway - so there was only one area where she could sustain any burns.

Her own home.

"Sakura-chan." He put a questioning lilt to his voice even as he kept his tone level, his posture nonchalant and his entire body radiating a calm, non-threatening aura. He thought she was the normal one, the one with a good home, with no emotional baggage or traumatic past. She was supposed to be the one they protected, the one Team 7 prevented from experiencing the pains they all shouldered. As always, it looked like Kakashi was too late to stop it.

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei?"

Her voice was too practiced. His gaze narrowed. This had been going on for awhile. Years, most likely. She had already reigned in any discomfort from the pain, setting it aside and turning her fake smile into a grin reminiscent to her usual cheer. Naruto flinched, horror crossing his whiskered visage. Of course he would, he knew what it was like to put up a mask. He could easily recognize one.

"What happened to your hands?"

Sakura's eyes flicked away and then down, consciously resisting an urge to ball her fists after another imperceptible wince. "Just an accident with the iron. I was a bit clumsy." A fake laugh joined the lie and now even Sasuke was tense.

The boy was degrading, rude and insulting, but even he knew Sakura was no klutz. She had good balance, good chakra control, and steady hands. She would never be a straight brawler like Naruto, or a battering ram like Sasuke, but she was as graceful and precise as a well-honed blade. She didn't make mistakes like that.

Kakashi hummed, saying nothing as he shot a glance at Naruto and Sasuke. They were watching him now, evaluating his actions even as they took quick glances at the pink haired girl. "Boys, training's cancelled today. Sakura, we're going to the hospital."

The trio watched as she blanched, her pale face now going absolutely sickly. "N-no, I'm fine! Really, this is nothing I haven't dealt with before."

Contrary to her reassurances, her words only made the other members of Team 7 more anxious because that-

That was fear.

What has her terrified of the hospital? Kakashi wondered. He paused for a moment, taking a second to think of his internal question before adjusting it. Other than the nurses, the pseudo-prison sentence, and the disgusting food.

Well, a little voice in the back of his head interjected, hospital records are accessible by family.

Kakashi loved that little voice.

"Maa. Run along you two." Kakashi ordered, his voice stern. The boys sent a dubious look his way before glancing at one another and cautiously retreating from the training grounds. After a few moments where Kakashi watched Sakura twitch, the Jōnin sighed. "You don't want this in your records."

Sakura flinched. "Um, not really."

"Your parents check to see if you receive medical attention." He stated blandly, not so much a question as a statement.

The girl looked down at the ground, her bangs falling over her eyes. "My mother does, yes."

"And your father?"

Sakura glanced away uncomfortably, notable grief clouding her features. "Papa died during the invasion."

Kakashi took a quick, silent breath. He hadn't known. He was relieved that his students had simply survived (the Ichibi jinchūriki was not a simple enemy) he hadn't even thought of them facing the horror of knowing casualties. The rest of the rookie genin were all alive, as were their sensei. He forgot that Sakura's social sphere wasn't as closed as her teammates.

"Aa. Is that why things have gotten worse?"

Sakura was slowly relaxing. Kakashi wasn't known for conversation - in fact his comrades would most likely describe him as 'socially deficient' - but he knew that this was a delicate situation. The lecture on abusive situations and how to handle them was one of the few that he had listened to because-

Well, no child should be afraid of their own home. Kakashi himself may not have been abused - not by Hatake Sakumo, not until he had found his father's cold, dead body splayed across the floor of the clan compound he no longer registered existed - but he remembered C-rank missions no six year old should have handled. He remembered ANBU missions at fourteen where he committed more murders than Uchiha Itachi during his infamous night of familicide. Maybe that was exaggerating, maybe that was making light of how terrible it was to be abused by the ones who were supposed to love you unconditionally in comparison to Kakashi's own horrors, but- but.

Emerald eyes glanced up, shaded by pale pink bangs and glistening faintly with unshed tears and Kakashi took back his assessment of weak-willed because what child could possibly be as cheerful as Sakura portrayed herself to be without a spine of steel? Kakashi was always dubiously questioned on why he was still sane, why he hadn't followed his father's path after the hell that was his life, but now Kakashi was the one questioning how Sakura survived. He didn't know how horrible it was at home, how bad the situation truly was, but the girl in front of him was automatically a survivor just for living through it.

"My neighbor's a medic-nin." Kakashi offered quietly.

The genin paused, analyzing Kakashi's words before looking up at him hopefully. "No hospital?"

"No hospital."

He held up his hand invitingly, waiting as Sakura nervously stared at him for a few seconds before accepting it, putting both her hand and her trust in his palm. He would hold to his words because the Jōnin may be socially defunct, but he tried as much as he could to protect his loved ones. His genin - this little wisp of a girl, a determined avenger, and a jinchūriki that looked too much like his parents - had already clawed their way into his heart by the time they challenged Momochi Zabuza in an effort to save his hide with only three weeks of training and their own determination.

So he would do all he could to protect him, and give hell to any who tried to damage them.

He would be speaking to the Hokage about Haruno Mebuki later that afternoon but first, he had a genin to care for.

Notes

I, personally, am not in an abusive household and have not experienced the situation myself so this is all from an outside perspective and not meant to offend or belittle anyone's horrible experiences. On that note, I urge you to get help if you need it and are able.

This isn't KakaSaku in any way, this is purely a mentor fic.