AN: Hello everyone! This is my first Naruto fic. I've seen all the anime and read all the way up to the latest chapter of the manga and I just couldn't wait for updates. So I decided to write my own story. I'm not really sure how it will turn out… I'm hoping that an inspiration will hit

In any case, enjoy the story and don't forget to review!

Disclaimer: I. DON'T. OWN. ANYTHING.

Chapter 1: The Space Between Twilight and Dawn

Hatake Kakashi was no ordinary man. He was a ninja after all. But some might even say that he was beyond an ordinary ninja. He was the Copy Ninja Kakashi, the user of Sharigan and the master of a thousand jutsus. He was the son of Hatake "White Fang" of Konoha, the genius student of Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze "Yellow Flash" Minato, and the teacher of the infamous Uzumaki Naruto. The list of his accomplishments and titles befitting his deeds goes on.

But some days when the air was crisp and the smell of grass after a spring shower tickles his senses, Kakashi wished nothing more than to be an ordinary man: an ordinary man without his titles and without duties to fulfill. Today was one of those days. The dawn was cold as if the early spring was still clinging to the last vestiges of winter chill. Signs of village life were stirring and amidst the silence of the time between night and morning, Kakashi stood upon the roof of a fancy traditional building on the outskirts of the village and his thoughts turned to one particular inhabitant who was residing inside the building.

'Hotaru…'

With a sigh, he dropped down from the building and turned his gaze towards the east where the first glow of the sun was basking the horizon in hues of red and orange. Then he turned cast one last longing gaze to the window on the second floor, farthest to the right and turned away toward the main gates of the village. Without turning back, he jumped from rooftop to rooftop into the gathering early morning silence of Konoha.

As the morning light streamed through the village, the inhabitants of Konoha started to stir awake. In the western end of the village, Hotaru, a courtesan of the Konohagakure Seiun-an okiya, slowly blinked as she fully came to consciousness. She looked to her right where her lover usually slept and was not surprised to find it empty.

'He must've left just a few moments ago… His side of the futon is still warm,' she thought to herself with a lonely smile gracing her lips.

Shaking her head lightly, she rose from the futon and opened her window. It was a beautiful spring morning. The air was crisp and a slight breeze caressed her face in refreshing delight. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, drinking in the elixir of early morning air. After a few moments of quiet reflection, she opened her shoji door and called lightly to her attendant Hana. As she came shuffling up the stairs, Hotaru turned away from the door and sat in front of the mirror and started to pull an ivory comb through her long ebony hair while basking in the memory of the previous night.

Kakashi stepped away from the shadow into the light of her room as she closed the shoji doors after a long night of entertaining her guests. Despite the fact that her back was turned to the room, she was well aware of his presence.

"Hotaru…"

"Kakashi-han, I was not aware you were planning to stop by tonight," she said as she turned to face him.

Kakashi turned his face so that it was half hidden in the shadows, looking at the simple yet elaborate akebana arrangement by the window and replied simply, "I wasn't but I just wanted to see you." Instead of his usual grace and poise of a ninja, his back was stiff and his hands were stuffed into his pockets and his eyes held a dangerous glint.

Without paying heed to his obvious discomfort she crossed the room to stand in front of him and replied, "But of course. Silly Kakashi-han. Why did you not alert Hana or Sayuri? They could've let me know that you were here. Did you wait long?" She raised her hand to his cheek and at her touch, Kakashi turned to face her.

Hotaru smiled up at him and he melted into his casual stance and his eyes crinkled in a smile. "I didn't want to bother you when you were working. As much as I hate the thought of you entertaining other men, I understand why you do the things that you do."

"Silly Kakashi-han…" she repeated and closed her eyes as his hands came to brush against her cheek. Wrapping her arms about his neck, she melted into his embrace.

"Hotaru…" Kakashi whispered into her hair and inhaled deeply her unique fragrance of lily and sage. He wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his hands against the back. He planted a light kiss on the juncture where her neck met her white shoulder and rested his head heavily on her shoulder.

They stayed like that for awhile, appreciating the comforting presence of each other and basking in the warmth of their embrace.

"Kakashi-han, what is wrong?" Hotaru asked, breaking the silence that blanketed them.

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked, planting another kiss on her shoulder.

"You know you can't lie to me. This isn't like you. What is going on?"

Kakashi pulled away from Hotaru as she searched his one uncovered eye. He sighed and said, "Nothing's wrong. I've just had a grueling day, that's all. Naruto has been… a handful lately."

Hotaru frowned and her expression clearly belied that she didn't believe him at all. But she didn't push the issue; she knew better than to meddle into ninja affairs. Instead she smiled up at him and pulled her body away from his, turning her back to him and looking out of the window into the night.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" she asked softly. If he wasn't willing to tell her what was bothering him, she can at least make him feel a little better.

But no answer came.

She turned around to face him again and searched his eye. She could not even begin to fathom the emotions that swirled within its depths. It held uncertainty, love, fear, hatred, and determination, all fighting for dominance. There was something definitely wrong with her ninja tonight.

"Kakashi-han?" she asked uncertainly.

"Of course I'll stay," he replied with a smile in an attempt to assuage her concern.

Her face broke into a full smile and said, "I'm glad."

Breaking her eye contact, Hotaru asked "Would you like to bathe first?"

Smelling his sweaty clothes and deciding that a bath was absolutely necessary, he consented. Hotaru handed him a yukata and led him to her private bath and filled the tub. Being already accustomed to this routine, Kakashi began to strip and started to wash himself. When the water had filled up to the brim, Hotaru also shed the layers of her clothes and stood behind Kakashi and washed his back. Hotaru began to sing a love song as she worked her skillful hands into Kakashi's back, undoing the knots and kinks in his muscle.

When she was done with his back, she turned around and pulled her hair to one side and over her shoulder. Kakashi repeated her actions and began washing her back. His hands ghosted over her milky skin while her soothing voice filled the bathroom. When he was done with her back, he carried her to the bath tub and sank into its welcoming warmth with her in his arms.

They stayed in comfortable silence with only an occasional splash of the water as they shifted in the water breaking the silence. He played with her hair while she sang for him. When they climbed out of the bath and dressed themselves in yukata, the moon was climbing high into zenith of the night sky.

When they entered her inner sanctum, her futon has already been laid out as per her instruction to Hana.

"Kakashi-han, would you like to sleep now?" Hotaru asked.

"Mmm I'm not yet sleepy," Kakashi replied, as he turned to face her. His hair was hanging limp from the water and his forehead protector that he had long discarded was hanging from his hand. His yukata was wrapped loosely about his form and his leaned casually against the frame of her shoji door. He was utterly handsome and he took her breath away.

"Hotaru, can you play the shamisen for me?"

She looked at him in mild surprise but nodded in acquiescence. She was, after all, the best shamisen player in all of Konoha, and request for her performance was endless in the village. It was no surprise that Kakashi was also enamored with her playing. She retrieved her shamisen from the corner of her room and sat across from Kakashi where he sat against the wall, peering into the darkness out of her window.

Hotaru played the shaminsen well into the night and Kakashi listened to her play, all the while contemplating the dreaded tomorrow. When she finally tired from playing, Kakashi gathered her small form into his arms and carried her to bed. He lightly kissed her lips and draped his arm across her waist as she fell asleep.

Kakashi stayed wide awake for a few more hours as he thought about the solo S-class mission he has been assigned that would be put into effect starting the next day. It was one of those missions that no one but the ninja selected for the mission and the Hokage knew about. Why such secrecy? It was beause if he should fail the mission, no information regarding it could be known to the any other party. Furthermore, it could be made as if he had defected from the village and none would be the wiser. The success rate? Almost one hundred percent. He was the legendary Hatake Kakashi after all; he almost never failed to complete his mission. His chance of survival? He'd rather not think about that particular probability.

With a sigh, he turned his face to look at Hotaru. She was sleeping deeply and her breathing was even and calm. Hotaru… What a name befitting such a person as her. She certainly came to be a 'hotaru' in his life, a firefly lighting the otherwise darkness of his life. After the death of Obito, Rin, the Yondaime, and the numerous comrades he lost in missions, Kakashi never thought that he could learn to love again. The pain of being left behind seemed to outweigh the happiness and warmth love can bring.

But all this changed when he met Hotaru three years ago. She brought him back from the cold darkness of loneliness to her world of light. She was his hotaru, his firefly. But even he knew that their love was never to be accepted. He was an elite ninja, always living on the edge of life and death. She was a courtesan, bound to the pleasure quarters and the uncaring world of men. Their illicit love affair was sure to be frowned upon if the outside world ever found out about them. So they kept it a secret. He would sneak in every few days and spend the night with her and she would always welcome him with unassuming grace.

Kakashi studied her face, trying to commit every contour of her face and her figure to memory. She was truly a work of art. Silky strains of her long ebony hair fanned her pillow and her pale face was relaxed in sleep. Her warm hazel eyes were closed but he can see them moving under her lids while she dreamed. Her lips were slightly apart as she slowly drew in each breath and her cheeks were slightly rosy from Kakashi's body heat. Just looking at her peacefully sleeping made Kakashi's heart ache.

'I can't believe I'm leaving her for god knows how long… When will I see her again?'

Unbidden, another thought came to the forefront of his mind. 'Will I ever see her again?'

Brushing such morbid thought out of his mind, he pulled her closer to his body and let sleep overtake him for the next couple of hours.

"Hotaru oneesan, may I enter?" called a voice from outside the shoji doors.

"Yes, you may come in, Hana," replied Hotaru.

"Good morning, Hotaru oneesan," said Hana, folding her knees beneath her and lightly placing her hands in front of her knees and bowing her head in a traditional greeting.

Hotaru turned from her mirror and inclined her head slightly in Hana's direction in greeting. "Good morning, Hana."

Hana came into the room and sat herself behind Hotaru. Taking the comb away from her hand, Hana began to brush Hotaru's long hair and asked, "Did you sleep well oneesan?"

"Yes, thank you," replied Hotaru, a small smile gracing her lips.

The rest of their morning ritual was spent in silence as Hana pulled Hotaru's hair into a slow bun and helped her dress in a light kimono.

"Hotaru oneesan, Ayume oneesan and Akesato oneesan are waiting to take tea with you in the tea room," called a servant's voice through the shoji door.

"I understand. I will be there shortly," replied Hotaru. Rising gracefully from her sit in front of the mirror, she pulled a shawl about her shoulders and stepped out of her room with Hana trailing behind her.

Her day as the top-class courtesan of Konoha was about to begin, yet unaware of the turn of events that were set in motion.

Seiun-an was an actual geisha house in Kyoto.

Akesato was a name of a real courtesan who had an illicit love affair with one of the vice captain of Shinsengumi, Yamamoto.

AN: So what do you think? I know that Kakashi seems a little out of character but that will all be explained in the subsequent chapters. I hope you, my readers, like it so far. Don't forget to review! All suggestions, recommendations, advices are welcome. Flames are also welcome unless if they are utterly senseless and unnecessary.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter!