A/n: Du du du du daaaahhhhh! As promised here's the first chapter of Inari & Kakashi one-shots. I hope you enjoy them as it's taken me awhile to get back into character (at least I hope everyone's in character O.O). As for the subject of updates, they won't be daily and most likely I'll try to keep to one a week.
I don't own Naruto only the OCs.
Ramen.
Inari woke with the faint smell of pine air freshener and the more earthy smell of unwashed clothing in her nose. She burrowed her head deeper into the quilts for a moment willing the now steadily rising sun away before deciding that this was in fact an appropriate time to wake. And wake she did with a small smile and the stretching of her pleasingly sore limbs. A mug stared back at her from the desk across the room and Inari pushed herself free of the duvets, pulled on one of the plain discarded tops flung over the back of the chair, wore it over her naked body and finally made her way over to the mug. She knew it was her mug from the stretching cat stamped across the front (an animal that she had developed a penchant for as they still managed to remind her of her sensei). It was steaming ever so slightly and when she brought it to her lips she hummed.
"Three minutes," she whispered.
Over the past year Inari had come to judge the length of time Kakashi had left by the heat of the tea he always left behind in his absence. She herself was an early riser (though the term could be considered an understatement when taking into account the fact Inari usually woke at five in the morning). Inari sat at Kakashi's desk, dressed only in an oversized shirt and with a cooling mug of tea laced between her fingers and mulled over her casual acceptance of her situation.
As a twenty-seven year old woman it should be worrying. As a kunoichi it should be detached. As Inari she is completely satisfied with the situation. She does not like to think on it too deeply. There wasn't a clear definition on what relationship Kakashi and Inari shared. Maybe if she had been a civilian she would have pushed for stability but as a shinobi she was well aware that stability was not an option. That and she did not want anything at this moment in her life to change. They weren't quite friends and they weren't quite partners. They…they were Kakashi and Inari. A soft smile pulled at Inari's lips.
"And that's fine with me," Inari whispered, mirroring the words they had both spoken as children.
She was glad Kakashi wasn't there. He'd tease her mercilessly for that expression.
…..
Two years.
A lot can happen in what feels such a short space of time when it's passing. Inari had been promoted to a member of the Hokage's personal guard (a worthwhile achievement for an individual who was had never been counted among the ANBU ranks). The work suited her well mainly because it involved long periods of standing there in protective silence, a quick hand and the ability to stay calm under pressure. What did not agree with her temperament however were the regular meetings between the Hokage's guard and the T & I. Although stating it as the T & I in general was rather incorrect.
It was a certain member. A certain female member with a penchant for snakes and terrifying young children. Inari and Anko clashed so violently and so suddenly that most members of both groups tended to instinctively turn on their heel or on a few occasions leap through windows whenever one got into the range of the other. Asuma and Kurenai found the situation very entertaining especially when their usually polite friend would snarl out a barrage of expletives (some they hadn't even known existed) whenever that woman was mentioned.
All three of the old childhood friends were still extremely close. A situation Inari had fretted over when it became more and more apparent how deeply Kurenai and Asuma felt for one another. There had been an insecurity that she then would be pushed out of the picture but instead found that she gained happiness from seeing the two together. Even if both kept on insisting on mentioning how suspicious it was that:
a) Kakashi and Inari departed home from the bar at the same time,
b) How they couldn't find both Kakashi and Inari sometimes
c) How they're sure Inari was wearing those same clothes yesterday (though how they knew when Inari currently donned the same black garb and forest green flak jacket as most Jounin was a mystery).
Inari knew they were all attempts to divert the attention onto her and Kakashi's relationship instead of their own. On Kakashi's part he tended to shrug and bluntly answer:
a) 'I was staying over at Inari's place'.
b) 'Because we were together and didn't want you two to find us.'
c) 'Yeah, she stayed at mine and her clothes…got lost on the path of life. No, really we had some amazing-'
The last answer was cut short by the reaction of the other individual held in question who would on her part would blush violently and try to get Kakashi to shut up. She was delighted to know that all three found her discomfort so amusing.
Fortunately enough two people remained adamant that there was nothing fishy about the way Inari would whisper to Kakashi when they went out drinking or the way Kakashi would insist on carrying her groceries home when he happened to find her shopping. Guy was completely unfazed in his efforts, in fact over the past year they'd become even more…direct (something Inari had previously thought impossible). She still hadn't managed to have a conversation with Guy about these efforts even after the incident when she found her letterbox stuffed with posters, leaflets and even promotional videos all on the subject as to why Guy was the perfect guy (no pun intended) for her.
The second was the man who was currently sitting across from her and Asuma on the varnished wooden benches outside his new favourite café (on account of their special blend tea and homemade cakes). The reasons behind this were clear. Shinji had his own problems to deal with at the moment. He was still a teacher at the Academy and still truly enjoyed his job but…
"I don't know what to do about her," Shinji sighed morosely, "I don't want to hurt her…"
"Then just tell her to back off," Asuma answered, tapping his cigarette against the ashtray Inari wordlessly offered.
"I can't do that!" Shinji gasped, "She's…very sensitive."
"You can't let her continue though," Inari inputted, "you're likely to still cause her pain."
"I know but…" Shinji sighed, "Whatever I do will upset her and I don't think I can just ignore the problem anymore last night I got home and…"
Shinji paled and Inari's eyebrows furrowed with concern as she watched her already deathly pale friend turn even ghostlier.
"Last night…when I got home from the Academy well, er," Shinji coughed and began to fiddle mercilessly with hi half empty tea-cup, "I was, erm, a little later than usual, one of the students, Suzuki Nariko, adorable little girl who has real talent as a sensory Nin but just lacks confidence. She's always making me these dried pasta necklaces; I just know she could be brilliant if she had some faith in herself but she's under the impression that sensory Nin are useless. I tried to tell her that-"
Asuma and Inari exchanged a glance. Their friend and old teammate had a habit of blathering when he gets nervous and a habit of talking about his pupils for hours on end. With the two combined, well suffice to say both Inari and Asuma could be there for hours longer.
"Shinji," Asuma interrupted, "you're rambling get on with the story."
"Oh, yes. Right. Well I got home late because I was speaking with Suzuki Nariko about the importance of a sensory type Nin in a team and when I got in…well…" Shinji breathed in to calm himself, "and she was there…but she was only wearing a…erm…"
"A stud ring?" Inari questioned, "your underwear?"
"No! No! Good God no, she was wearing her own underwear…but that, erm… was it."
"Oh," Inari breathed then coughed awkwardly.
Both Shinji and Inari were much shyer and easily embarrassed in that respect and it was both who averted their gaze downward and wore matching blushes. Asuma however began to chuckle.
"Seriously?" he smirked, "what did you do? I bet you just made her tea and locked yourself in your room."
"Ah," Shinji turned his head away from his old teammate while his blush grew to cover his ears as well as neck and face.
Asuma's chuckling grew louder in response.
"Asuma! People are looking," Shinji protested desperately, "And besides haven't you got to go meet with your Genin Team."
"Already done. Just finished," Asuma replied then turned to Inari with a smirk that she knew meant trouble, "which is why Shrimp's sat out here, she's waiting for Kakashi to finish with his team."
Inari stiffened visibly and Shinji turned his attention to her with misty eyes.
"You didn't want to hear about my problems?" Shinji asked with all the guilt-inducing innocence of a fawn and kitten hybrid.
"I-" Inari began then coughed, "I may have been planning to meet with Kakashi after this since I'm free…"
Inari could practically feel Asuma's smirk grow.
"…For business reasons of course," Inari continued, "We were to discuss the…drainage systems as Kakashi's drain seems slower than the other tenants."
"Yeah, sure," Asuma smirked, "I can read you like a book, Shrimp, there's no point lying."
"The performances of Kakashi's drains are a very important issue," Inari defended weakly before sighing in defeat. Arguing with Asuma was pointless, a truth Inari had come to accept a long time ago.
Shinji's fiddling grew as he stared between a slightly smug Asuma and a slightly slumped Inari with his brows creased with concern. Both Inari and Asuma had become well respected and extraordinary shinobi in their own rights. Both were quite popular even though both didn't seem all too aware of it. Both were confident in ways Shinji could never be.
Sometimes he couldn't help but feel that he was the one being left behind to watch after Asuma and Inari's shadows. Even his problems seemed tiny compared to theirs; here he was working himself up into a worrying mess all because his young wife had started to take a romantic interest in him while he still viewed her as the little sister he would always pander to. Inari was protecting the most important person in Konoha nearly every day or night and Asuma had the lives of three young shinobi in his hands never mind the lives of tens more both commanded when they took missions. He looked down at the rapidly cooling tea. Maybe he had been left behind, they were moving on with their lives and no longer had room to sit there and allow his babying.
"Right back to topic," Asuma drawled, stubbing out one cigarette he instantly light up another and focused back on Shinji, "what do you plan to do about your wife?"
Shinji looked back up and found both his old teammates watching him. Asuma with his cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth and both arms allowed to hang lazily at his sides. His quick dark eyes were focused on Shinji and Shinji alone and a slight tug to the corner of his mouth that suggested he found the entire situation amusing but was there to help nonetheless. Inari sat straight with her hands folded delicately in her lap. She was still the figure of calm and comfort she had always been to him. It was only amplified by the soft smile that framed her lips as she looked to Shinji ready to offer help in any form she could. Inari and Asuma.
Shinji blinked before smiling back. They were still like the big brother and sister he secretly believed them to be, the family he needed when his own was not so forgiving. Yes, they and their circumstances had all changed with time. But the love and utter respect Shinji held for the two people who had saved him never would.
….
"Kakashi-sensei, aren't you hungry?"
"Hrmm?" Kakashi looked down to find all three of his students watching him expectantly.
Sakura was forcing herself to appear outwardly polite though the determined glean in her eyes suggested she was just as eager as Naruto. Who in fact was squirming about in his seat and popping his head up at all angles just to get a better view. Sasuke on the end was trying to appear indifferent and uninterested though he too was betrayed by the quick darting motion of his eyes as they continually checked whether or not his teacher had moved yet.
He knew what they were waiting for and he couldn't help the small sadistic glee he got from knowing they weren't going to see it. Kakashi glanced up at the clock hanging on the back of the Ichiraku Ramen's back wall.
Ten minutes checking locations where she would usually find him after work. Then ten minutes debating on whether or not it would be honourable of her to disrupt him while he's out with pupils. So she should be here…any minute now.
"Yeah, thanks," Kakashi replied then slowly lifted his hand and trying not to smirk when all three of his students leaned in with wide curious eyes.
Kakashi hooked his fingers under the edge of his mask and slowly pulled it down an inch. Naruto and Sakura made an excited squeak while Sasuke was gripping the bar top to keep himself still attached to the seat he was almost leaning out of.
"Yo, Inari!" Kakashi called, removing his fingers and swivelling in his seat to wave sloppily at the crimson haired woman who had only just rounded the corner.
He could instantly tell from her furrowed brows and frown that the internal debate was still raging on and she looked shocked enough by Kakashi and Team 7's appearance that it was easy to guess her feet had led her here without her knowledge.
She smiled gently at Kakashi's salutation nonetheless but remained where she stood. Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke were all eyeing her. Sakura looked curious, her eyes darting back and forth between Inari's smile and Kakashi's. Naruto huffed and folded his arms with a put out expression, clearly annoyed that he had been robbed a chance to sneak a peek at his sensei's face. Sasuke for his part was caught somewhere between irritation and suspicion as he regarded the new component of the scene.
Inari nodded her head in greeting then glanced at the three Genin who were examining her in a silent 'I'll wait until you're not busy'.
"It's fine," Kakashi shrugged, "I've just eaten but you could grab something while you're here."
"Just eaten?" Sakura murmured in confusion.
Then all three looked down at the now empty bowl in front of their sensei and deflated with defeat.
Inari glanced back at the Genin before nodding and moving to take a seat at the far end of the bar. As soon as she moved though Kakashi rose and re-seated himself one seat down leaving the now vacant stool next to Sakura free and instantly placing a social obligation on Inari to park her backside there instead. Inari being Inari threw one quick glare at the silver haired Jounin (that she knew would be smirking behind that damn mask of his) before calmly sitting and ordering a bowl for herself.
By now all three children had garnered that Inari was at least a Chunin (easy enough to discern considering Kagami's great, sleek shape at her back and the shinobi uniform) and was an acquaintance of Kakashi (though the very fact he'd asked her to eat with him suggested more).
"Thank you," Inari nodded.
"Hey," Sakura whispered to her sensei around Inari's back, "aren't you going to introduce us?"
Inari smiled to herself at the thirteen year old's non-too subtle prompt. Of course Kakashi would forget something like that.
"Yeah," Kakashi drawled, "Inari, Team 7. Team 7, Inari."
"Hi, I'm Haruno Sakura," Sakura smiled presenting her hand.
The woman remained silent as she shook it but smiled softly back at her.
"Uzamaki-" Naruto began to loudly announce, his skinny chest puffed out and his finger jabbed right at its centre.
"Uzamaki Naruto," Inari interrupted, "the future fifth Hokage. Hopefully this meeting shouldn't involve any injuries."
"Injuries?" Sakura questioned, looking anxiously between the two. Naruto was screwing his face up and straining his eyes so hard at Inari that began to worry for his bowels until suddenly his features broke into a huge surprised grin.
"Ninja Lady?" Naruto questioned.
Inari smiled and nodded.
"Wow, I can't believe you're friends with a pervert like Kakashi-sensei! Ha ha ha! Hey, hey you remember that Jutsu you taught me huh?"
Kakashi (who was pretending hard not to be listening) hunched his shoulders and stared blankly ahead at the wall at Naruto's comment while Inari paled at the mention of that Jutsu.
"I couldn't forget Naruto-san, Hokage-sama held me personally responsible for the mayhem you caused. Genma-chan's therapy was docked from my wages," Inari replied.
"Oh, er," Naruto awkwardly rubbed at the back of his head and began to laugh sheepishly.
Sasuke snorted.
Naruto instantly flung his mouth open to hurl insults at his rival when he noticed Inari's eyes on him still patiently waiting for his next move. Naruto's expression became mischievous and Sasuke and Kakashi had every right to look worried.
"Hey, Ninja Lady you haven't met Sasuke-teme yet right?" Naruto grinned.
Inari shook her head and leaned forward to present her hand to Sasuke in greeting.
"Yeah, Sasuke-teme likes flower arranging and wearing ladies clothes, he wants to be a shinobi cause he thinks his ass looks fat in civilian clothes," Naruto introduced smugly.
"Naruto!" Sakura and Sasuke roared.
Inari instantly leaned back as both Sakura and Sasuke pounced on a still madly laughing Naruto and began to deal their punishment for the insult. Inari hovered unsure as to whether she should let it take its natural course or break it up.
"So," came Kakashi's voice curled lazily from over her shoulder, "what do you think?"
"Ah! Sakura-chan I think you broke something!"
"Shut up Naruto you'll pay for insulting Sasuke-kun like that!"
"It's not my fault he's so girly!"
"I'll kill you dobe!"
"They're…" Inari breathed, her expression caught somewhere between shock and horror as the children tried to beat the living daylights out of each other, "….spirited?"
"Yeah," Kakashi replied, "I hate them."
"Kakashi I find that hard to believe when you're smiling like that while you say it," Inari said.
Kakashi just chuckled.
A/N:
I hope you enjoyed the first one :D any feedback would be brilliant (good or bad).