Title: Just So You Know
Chapter 1: A Little Too Late
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to the awesome mangaka namely, Masashi Kishimoto
It took him long to realize, but he finally did. The reason behind what he was feeling was no genjutsu at all. He thought that something's wrong with him. The way he felt tensed around his crimson-eyed colleague and how he'd felt his face heat up under that mask of his when she smiles at him had a logical explanation and he finally began to understand what it means.
It was almost impossible, but the Copy-Ninja, Hatake Kakashi finally began to see Yuhi Kurenai in a different way.
Being the cold-hearted man that he turned out to be after going through a rough childhood, made it hard for him to realize that he really was in love…
'This is really troublesome… I'm too old for this…' Kakashi thought to himself, thinking that love is just for teenage kids like his students, Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto…
'I shouldn't get myself into trouble like this… this falling in love sort of thing… This isn't like me at all… Love is just a distraction. I have many obligations, to my students, to Konoha Gakure, to all those I have loved but lost… This thing with Kurenai shouldn't be tolerated. She's my colleague our relationship should be professional…' He thought before glancing at his clock to look at the time and finally realize that he's already late for his work.
'Shit. I knew it… This love that they call… It's just a distraction… I need to get it off my head…' Kakashi thought before taking off to report to the Fifth Hokage.
Kakashi sprinted as fast as he can to reach his destination. As he was running, he no longer noticed where he was going that he accidentally bumped into someone.
"Ouch!" That certain 'someone' yelped as she fell on the ground.
"I'm really sorry… uhh… miss…" Kakashi said apologetically as he bent down to lend her a hand. "Wait… Kurenai… Wh-what are you doing here?"
"Kakashi? You're quite in a hurry aren't you? Let me guess… late for work again, hmm?" Kurenai asked, giggling as she accepted her colleague's offer to lend her a hand.
Kakashi couldn't help but blush under his mask as he felt her warm soft hands touch against his. His heart throbbed against his chest at the sudden skin ship.
"Well, I just went to Lady Tsunade's office to deliver some files. I'm off to meet my students now. You know how Kiba is when he sulks and how Shino is when he becomes emo. That Aburame kid will surely accuse me of abandoning them. Anyway, I have to go…" Kurenai said before turning to leave when the Copy-Ninja grabbed her wrist gently to stop her.
'I think I just have to do this… I guess these feelings aren't under my control anymore.' Kakashi thought to himself as the genjutsu expert turned to face him.
"I just think that you and I have to talk… - Ugh but not now…. Ehehehe…" He stammered as he scratched his non-itchy head. "Well what I'm trying to say is… Can you and I meet after work?"
Kurenai's cheek turned crimson.
"L-like on a date?" She carelessly asked, making Kakashi blush as well.
"Uhmmm… N-not really… I wouldn't call it a.. uhhh… date… It's just… just uhh.. A casual talk…" Kakashi, who used to be cool calm and collected, stammered as he tried to reason out to the beautiful crimson-eyed genjutsu user before him.
"Well… Okay… Just don't be late okay?" Kurenai giggled before taking off, having that weird disappointed feeling deep down in her heart.
'What were you thinking, Kurenai? Kakashi wouldn't ask you out on a date… Jeez be professional…' She mentally scolded herself.
And with that, the two went their separate ways.
'Those crimson eyes they're not sharingan but for some reason, I feel like I'm getting lost inside of them, like I'm getting sucked into another dimension, as though I could just stare at them all day long…' Kakashi thought as he went inside the hokage's office.
"HATAKE KAKASHI! YOU'RE LATE AGAIN!" Tsunade screamed as she punched her office table, causing it to crack. "WHERE ARE THOSE FILES?! YOU KNOW VERY WELL THAT I NEED THEM IMMEDIATELY!"
"Gomenasai Hokage-sama. Here are the files." Kakashi apologized as he bowed and gave the files to the angry hokage. 'Please don't kill me…'
Kakashi didn't get any punches from the hokage, but he did receive a two-hour lecture from her. That was better than going home with bruises.
"It'll never happen again, ma'am." Kakashi said before leaving the office to meet up with Kurenai on the training field.
"Was I late?" Kakashi asked worriedly, after noticing that Hinata, Kiba and Shino had already left their sensei alone in the training field.
"Nope. I was just early." She said. "So, how did it go with Lady Tsunade?"
"She didn't beat me to death. But she gave me a tiring lecture. I deserved it anyway…" Kakashi answered while grinning under his mask. "How was your training?"
"Ugh. I was 2 minutes late and Shino was already upset with me." Kurenai complained.
"That boy really disturbs me." Kakashi remarked. "You know, those kids are lucky to have a sensei like you."
"Why? Is it because I don't get five hours late for training?" Kurenai joked and Kakashi chuckled.
"For that reason and also because you're always expressive around them. You're like their second parent in the training field and on missions, especially to Hinata."
"Come on. You're a great sensei too." Kurenai said. "You just don't know it."
"Maybe… though I wish I could express myself more around them just like you, Guy and Asuma do."
"Your students love you no matter what. I'm sure they wouldn't want to replace you with any of us, if that's what you're worried about. Besides, you guys have that special bond. Every teacher for each team has." She said with a smile. "You don't say it all the time, you barely do. But by the way you talk to people about how proud you are of them goes to show that you care about them. The way you'd break the rules for Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke, goes to show that you do care about them. Your team has this special language, like some mutual understanding that even though you don't say that much to one another, you guys feel that you care about one another and that's actually something special, you know?"
"You're good at giving advice, do you know that?" Kakashi said in amazement.
"Don't false flatter me, copy-cat ninja." Kurenai joked.
"It's Copy-Ninja. And you know very well that I don't like cats. Liking cats is a contrast to my ninken, if Biscuit and Pakkun hear you they'd be totally upset, even worse that Shino, if you'd ask me."
"Really?"
"Yeah really, I bet they wouldn't even respond to my summons."
"They could really do that?!" Kurenai asked, astounded.
"Yeah. The last time I got them upset; they sent me a 2 week-old puppy."
"Woah. I didn't know they could do that."
"You and Asuma are totally different. I heard Asuma prefers cats better than dogs." Kurenai said. "Speaking of Asuma, he asked me out on a Friday night."
With the sudden topic, Kakashi felt his heart throb against his chest. His mind drifted to another land as his heart shattered on the ground.
'It goes to show that you and I shouldn't be neh, Kurenai?' Kakashi thought.
"Kakashi, you said you wanted to tell me something… What was it anyway?" She asked, bringing him back to earth.
"Oh that… It's about Hinata and Naruto." Kakashi lied.
"What about them?" She asked suspiciously.
"Well, do you think there's something going on between them? They've been always together lately." Kakashi replied in a lazy tone.
"Well, I see nothing wrong with that. Everyone in the village knows how Hinata feels about your future hokage." Kurenai remarked.
"I see nothing wrong with that. But I think Hiashi-sama thinks differently about how we do. I'm just worried about our students, especially Hinata."
"I'll take care of her, always and you know that." Kurenai assured him with a smile. "Is that all, Kakashi?"
For some reason, Kurenai felt as though there were some words left unsaid by the silver-haired jonin before her. She didn't know him very well, like others do but she just felt that there was something more that he wanted to say.
"That's all." Kakashi said in his usual calm tone. "And have fun with Asuma... I have to go…"
Before the crimson-eyed jonin could say something else, her colleague already disappeared in a puff of smoke.
It was already too late and Kakashi knew that. 'You deserve someone who can take good care of you, Kurenai. I have failed so many times. I couldn't protect chichue, Obito, Rin, sensei and even Sasuke. I know very well that I couldn't protect you either. I'd rather lose you to him, than lose you because I wasn't strong enough to protect you… '
A.N: So, I finally made the revised version of "Just So You Know." Sorry for keeping you guys waiting. I know I make a lousy author. I izzz so sorry.
*bows*
With love,
~Kei-chan 3
P.S. Please spread KakaKure Love… *pouts*