-1This story takes place about two years before Team 7. I do not own Naruto, or any characters from the story.

"You know, you'll wear yourself sooner or later…"

Heavy breaths seared their way out of the woman's chest as her shoulders slightly rose from their drooped position. Hazel eyes slowly peered through a curtain of dark sienna tresses to a tree coated in kunai, shuriken and a number of senbon. Under the olive green vest and dark jounin shirt and pants, her toned torso and limbs were drenched in sweat; it dripped in lazy droplets from her forehead to the grassy earth. Watching, her dangling arms seemed to be goal posts for each translucent drop. With a sigh, the woman stood straighter, and turned her head so as she could view her visitor.

Shiranui

Of course it was him; the handsome, caramel haired and eyed jounin with that trademark sliver of metal senbon perched idly between his lips, which were displayed in a devious grin. Leaning gingerly against a tree, the man's eyes traveled over the woman as they did with most, until they settled on her hazel orbs.

"Well, Genma," the woman began to tell in a rich, lulling voice, "I could say the same to you," she finished with a smirk. He didn't have to ask twice about her meaning, neither would anyone who deemed their selves Genma's friend. It was a little known fact that Genma was one of the biggest flirts in all of Konoha, a reputation the sly jounin stayed true to over the years.

"Ouch, so harsh, Tsukatu," the man gave with a little pout that quickly changed into another mischievous grin. "Say, Atsuka?"

"Yeah, what is it, Shiranui?"

There was a pause as his eyes trailed over her once again. "Call me crazy, but I think you got even hotter over the last few days," Genma told with a smile that would easily melt most women's heart, but Atsuka didn't like to think of herself as being that easy. She only gave him a blank stare and turned her back towards him as she went to retrieve her weapons from the tree she had deemed 'hers' over the past years. Plucking a kunai previously embedded deeply in the thick bark, she smirked unknowingly to him and tucked the thing in her holster.

"Say, Genma?" She grinned as she threw his words back at him. Genma rose a brow, not one to let even the smallest of things go unnoticed, and pushed away from the tree.

"Uh huh?" he asked, slightly dragged out in a hum.

"Call me crazy… but I think you got cockier over the past few days."

There was a brief pause.

"Hmm," Genma finally returned with a small laugh to follow. "I won't say it's not possible, Atsuka." This retrieved a small chuckle from the kunoichi. "At least you still think I'm funny."

"You're quite the entertainer, Genma… I'm sure you know this already," she gave as she went back to plucking each silver weapon from the tree trunk. Genma only leaned back against the tree, waiting for her to finish obviously. When she had, and turned about, she frowned when he wasn't in sight. She was too tired to play games, and it seemed he just started yet another round of their ongoing sport of 'guess where I'll appear next?' Genma always started it. Placing a hand to her head as if to stifle a headache, the woman was about to take off until there was a warmth against her back that added to the discomfort of the sticky sweat that was still sliding down her skin. She felt her ear tingle as hot breath teased it, a hand then wrapped about her front.

"Gen…" She gave a soft shudder as his tongue gently rounded the shell of her ear. Trying to hold herself together under his seductive touches, no matter how big or small they managed to be, she turned herself about and placed two finger to his mouth to prevent any forward movement of his head towards her own. She noticed the senbon was gone as her hazel eyes flickered from his lips to his caramel eyes which bore into her own with such intensity of passion she fought to keep her gaze strong.

It's such a bittersweet gaze…

"Hmm?" was all he gave in response, her hand not occupied with keeping him at bay was placed on his chest; she could feel the soft hum of his smooth tones even through that thick vest he sported. His own free hand gently came up and found its way about hers, bringing those two fingers away form his lips. She was about to give in as he leaned in 'for the kill', his lips almost brushing her own. With a deep breath, though, Atsuka composed herself before he could go any farther.

"Not today, Shiranui," she whispered, eyes flickering between his. By theirs looks, and by the way his gentle embrace loosened, he knew she was in fact serious, and gave up. The fact that she called him by his surname was a red flag enough.

"Alright, Tsukatu," he told with a warm, but equally serious, Genma smile, and reached down shortly to bring a fresh, or perhaps the same and most favored, senbon to his lips. Although no longer in an embrace, the two stood toe to toe. The corners of Atsuka's lips were tugged into a small smile. Genma, although a whore and a big flirt, was a good friend and someone she found hard to be peeved with, no matter the circumstances.

"Come with me to the pub? I'll buy you a drink; what do you say, Tsukatu?"

"Sure," she responded with a grin and Genma reflected with his own.

"Great! I haven't had a drink since yesterday," he exclaimed as they headed out of the small clearing in the Konoha forest.

"You freakin' alchie, Shiranui."

He only gave a smooth laugh.

The bustling atmosphere of the pub was something Atsuka could never get accustomed to, although, she noted years back, Genma certainly fit right in with his warm laughter and smiles, along with the winks at the women and the slaps on the men's backs. The two jounin fought their way through the crowd to a table filled with other Konoha elite.

"Hey, Shiranui, 'bout time you got here!" came the loud voice of the plum haired Anko. She slightly rose from her seat and laughed as Genma frowned. Atsuka concluded some time ago when she first met the wild kunoichi, that she really did not enjoy the woman very much. Anko felt the same towards her, something she let known verbally some years ago, and not much changed between the two woman since then.

"Sorry, Mitarashi, I was a bit busy today," Genma told, and the woman's light sienna orbs flickered to the woman behind. She smirked and didn't do well to hide it.

"Hey there, Tsukatu," she told with raised brows. Atsuka smiled slightly and nodded to the rest who greeted the new comers. Pushed into a seat, Genma settled down quickly as he was passed his first round of sake by Anko, Atsuka turning down her numerous offers with the excuse of 'sorry I'm not much of a drinker', which was mostly true. Of course they all knew this, but still, they always tried to insist.

Taking note that Genma was on his third sake as the time rolled on, and looking quite humble, Atsuka quietly slipped away and out of the pub into the lazy evening air rich with spirits and the smells of baked goods from a local market. A half hour surrounded by so many persons was something she still couldn't bare, even if around her friends.

"See you finally emerged..."

The woman turned at the words from the lazy, silver haired jounin, who sat some feet away, reading an orange colored book, as usual. She smiled as she walked over to accompany him on the bench he occupied. Letting out a deep sigh, her head tilted back until it gently bumped against the wooden planks that lined the pub's outside. Seeing as she was on his right, and good side, he closed his book and lazily turned his aloof, slate grey eye to the kunoichi aside him.

"Something bothering you?" his rich voice asked, slightly muffled by that mask he wore. She opened her eyes and they settled on what she could see of his one. Hatake Kakashi wasn't, in her mind, the type of person to sit and listen to most peoples' problems -even though she knew herself to be an exception- so she shook her head and leaned forward, eyes traveling down her outstretched legs to her toes that poked out from her dark sandals.

"No… I'm fine," she told to reassure the copy-nin, watching her feet still as she flexed her toes idly, brushing aside her coffee hair from her fair face. Kakashi frowned under that mask of his, but, did not press the matter. After a few moments of just sitting in each other's company while listening to the activity inside the pub, did Kakashi speak again.

"It's almost been a year since the mission, Atsuka… we were all afraid, you know," he reminded her softly, looking across the street at the small shoppes and stalls. The woman besides him shifted, but not from unease. Pulling her legs back so she could slouch over and drape her arms over her thighs, she sighed again.

"I know," she gave in response, her own voice much softer. Again, she stared at her feet, examining the small moons on her big toes, the crescent of peach against the pink nail bed and the sliver of clear nail itself. Feeling his hand on her back, she peeked at him through her tresses, his visible eye creased in a smile.

"Walk?"

He didn't have to ask twice.

Rising with him, the two leisurely took off down the street. Silently, they made their way to their usual spot; the memorial stone. The both of them had their fair share of missing friends; long past loved ones. Even now at twenty-three, Atsuka still remembered the day when she was informed of her parents' death. She had only been four, but the memory was clear as if it happened just the day before. Atsuka watched as the lazy jounin wandered over to crouch before the dark stone and tenderly rub a finger over a few memorized names of those he had cherished most that were carved neatly into the stone.

"You've been friendly with Shiranui lately," he told after a few, long minutes of silence. It was a question that made the woman slightly taken aback, but this she did not show. If Anko noticed, surely Kakashi would sooner or later. She thought as the man before her as her rock, and wondered if he felt that same way about her now. Atsuka could always find a calmness with Kakashi she couldn't extract from anyone else, and it sometimes managed to creep into her when the two shared time together.

"Not something I'm overly pleased with," she muttered, yet he clearly caught the words and the unsure way she spoke them. Genma and Kakashi were good friends, this Atsuka knew. If anyone knew the real Genma, it would be this lazy ninja before her. Yet, if anyone knew the real her, it would be Kakashi as well. Standing, he grinned as he walked over, past Atsuka, to go sit against his favorite tree, she in his wake. As he settled down, with Atsuka at his side, he looked up into the honey streaked sky as the sun was near her death, the moon visible in the gradient of deepening blues.

"He's a good guy," he said after a while, his eyes now closed and arms propped on bent legs.

"Hmm…" She knew he was, but she also didn't know the man as well as Kakashi did.

The copy-nin leaned his head back as he let his thoughts run fleet in his mind. Atsuka did in fact seem someone compatible for Shiranui Genma. She could anchor him down nicely if she wanted to. Strong both physically and mentally, this woman besides him was really one to fight over with her gorgeous visage and well educated mind.

He almost laughed when he thought back to when they started to first spend time together. The both thought themselves to make a suitable couple, until they found that trust came in the form of friendship, not passion and longing. Although, he had to admit that sometimes he thought as her as something akin to a soul mate; yet, he couldn't find it in his heart to pour affection into a woman who needed someone who could be there always for her. Kakashi wasn't one for commitments, and she understood him perfectly. Pleased that those fleeting months of lust could turn into something as deep and true as the friendship they shared now, Kakashi long past decided he wouldn't change it for the world.

He cracked open his eye to see her head dipped with her leg crossed and her arms in her lap. She reminded him of when she was younger in that position, shy and timid, but also holding an uncanny strength beneath those unsocial layers. How she changed over the years, and for the better, he thought. Reaching over, he gently tucked stray tresses of her silky, chocolate hair behind a delicate ear. Hazel eyes peeked open and settled on his one. Not able to hide a smile, Atsuka lifted her head and looked to the sky.

"I think you'll make the right choice," Kakashi told as his eyes followed hers to the melting colours of the setting sun.

"I hope so."