Ronin and the Queen
Chapter 2: Age and Moderation
It was getting late and Kakashi was fatigued. He'd travelled for days to get to the hidden village and was exhausted from the exchanges with his two former students. But Naruto's state did concern him and, as far as Sakura's situation went, he felt he had a hand in that too. But if he had said yes to becoming Hokage, he would have lived a life of regret. He wasn't the sort of man to be tied to a desk and deal with bureaucrats on a daily basis.
No, he was never suited for it and figured Sakura would do well, but obviously she wasn't any happier than he would have been. Sadly, she stepped up to the plate and did her duty out of loyalty to her kinsmen, to Naruto, and probably in some misguided way, to him.
"Hey, Hatake!" Genma's familiar voice shouted out from down the street. "You asshole! How long have you been back?"
"Just this morning," Kakashi mumbled with veiled disappointment, seeing his quiet night getting further and further out of his reach. "Just going home."
"Like Hell. It's been years. Come and have a drink."
Obligation, you are the devil,Kakashi thought ruefully, changing his direction slowly to follow the man chewing on the ever-present senbon. It was a wonder that Genma hadn't cracked all his teeth out over time.
They entered the nearby pub to find it half-full and not too noisy. At least there was that. Kakashi joined Genma at the bar and when the bartender asked what they wanted, Kakashi asked for warm sake.
"Thought you didn't drink, Health Nut." Genma's brow was creased.
"I don't," Kakashi smirked, then tugged down his mask and drank the warm strong sake down before pulling it back up again.
"Hey, Shizune is here with the Hokage again," Genma said happily, spotting the medic at a corner booth with Sakura. "My lucky night!"
"Shit," Kakashi muttered, seeing Sakura's pink cheeks and red nose as she took another drink. "Is she hammered?"
"The Hokage or Shizune? They probably both are. Sakura can drink pretty heavily now. I see her in here often. Why don't we go join them?"
Reluctantly, Kakashi agreed and followed Genma to the table where Sakura's glassy green eyes looked up at him. "Oh, Kanashi….snit down."
"Wow," Genma mumbled. "That almost made sense."
"Have about twenty more and it will," Shizune laughed.
Taking a deep breath and grumbling to himself, Kakashi slid into the booth beside Sakura to find her head instantly on his shoulder. "You okay?" he asked her because he didn't know what else to say.
"How's Nooto," she breathed out, blinking her eyes slowly while looking up at him from his shoulder.
"If I tell you, will you remember?"
"Pobly not," she answered, wrapping an arm around his and hugging it close. "Tay me hum, willa, Kanashi?"
"She wants you to take her home," Shizune translated with a pleading look. Obvious to Kakashi, Shizune had probably done the honours on more than one occasion and most likely many times before with the fifth Hokage. For Shizune, it would be like having the same boss forever.
"All right. Let's go," Kakashi sighed in defeat. It's only another day or two and then you can go, he told himself. Once Naruto was on a better path and Sakura was satisfied she might get to give up the post one day, he could leave and not return for another six years, or ten, or never.
Standing up beside the booth, Kakashi helped the Hokage out and held her arm tightly as she worked to right herself on her high heels. With as much dignity as possible, they walked out into the cool night.
"Oh, I drink too mush," Sakura slurred noisily, letting her head fall on Kakashi's shoulder. "But fills great."
"I'm sure it does," Kakashi laughed, impressed with himself that he was understanding her despite her declining articulation skills due to her lazy tongue. "Where do you live?"
"Hokage house," she mumbled. "Hey Kashi? Lez go on mission!"
"What?"
"Mission. Lez fight and run through trees. I miszit."
Kakashi looked down at her as she leaned heavily on his side, her eyes closing and then opening, her feet unsteady, tugging him left every few steps.
"I suppose you don't get out much," he said in response to her intoxicated attempt at their common language.
"Nope," she exaggerated. "Like now's bout it."
The rest of the short walk was in silence until they came to the large one floor residence with a pagoda roof and a wrap around porch. He helped her up the two steps and when she slumped against the wall and began to slide down, he picked her up and carried her into the large spacious home, her heavy head tucked comfortably against his throat.
For as long as he could remember, Hokage lived in that residence. How many times he'd gone to see Minato there or sat on the porch and waited for the day's training to commence was beyond count. It seemed almost every minute of his return was filled with a walk into his past. And he wasn't quite sure how he felt about that.
Carrying her into the bedroom, he placed her feet onto the floor and helped her to tug off her long white jacket.
"Sit down and I'll get your shoes," he said to her as she slumped forward onto his chest.
"You smell nize," Sakura whispered, breathing slowly and deeply. "Mm, warm too."
"Thanks," he responded. "Now sit down."
Her arms went up around his neck clumsily as she hung on him a little. "Why don't you make me," she dared and it was the first time she sounded really intelligible.
Kakashi's eyebrow rose and he fought outright laughter. She'd forgotten whom she was talking to.
Grabbing her wrists, he clamped them both with one hand and nudged the back of her knee with his own, making her legs give out. She plopped onto the edge of the bed, her mouth open in intoxicated indignation.
Dropping to a squat in front of her, Kakashi lifted one foot up, slipped off her shoe, then lifted the other and repeated the action. Sakura still looked shocked when he looked up at her.
"Now, be a good little girl and get to bed."
"Make me," she growled and Kakashi shook his head. Now it was just a game.
Grabbing her wrists again, he pulled her arms out to her sides and slipping a knee on the bed beside her, he forced her backwards a little roughly as she gave some resistance, but she fell back onto the bed anyway. For a few moments he held her there, hovering above her and not letting go, swinging a leg over to straddle her.
She let out a startled breathy sound as she gazed up at him. Her eyes half closed, but it wasn't anger he saw there.
"Anything else I can help you with?" he asked matter-of-factly.
"Clothes," she whispered sultrily, forcing her eyes open amid slow blinks. "Mine…and yours."
Kakashi felt his stomach tighten at the invitation. A flash of him actually sliding her shirt from her strong, tight body to expose supple breasts ran through his head and it tempted him more than it should have given their history. It grew into a picture of them writhing on her bed in the dirtiest of ways and he was a little aroused. He'd had to admit she'd grown up strong and beautiful, but she was too drunk to really know what she was saying and he'd been alone for so long, he worried he was a little desperate to give in.
Naruto was right. She was tightly wound like a watch spring and had no outlet. Men would be intimidated by her strength and position, either getting drunk and blurting out a proposition or just too scared to approach her. What a double-edged sword. He almost felt sorry for her.
"Because you won't remember this, I'll say that I'd be happy to strip you naked, Sakura. I imagine you'd really enjoy all the things I'd do to you, but I think I'd enjoy it more if you didn't pass out under me. If you remember this tomorrow, we'll try it when you're sober. If you don't, too bad for both of us."
"Wha…hn?" she breathed out as he got up to get off her and stood at the end of the bed. For a second she lay still, staring at the ceiling, and then a hand came up slowly and rubbed at her face roughly before she rolled over and the first loud snore bounced off the walls.
Kakashi laughed. She wouldn't remember. But he would and perhaps tomorrow it would be harder to look at her without stripping her in his head. It really did indicate that the sooner he left, the better.
Waking around nine a.m., Kakashi rolled over in his bed and stared at the clock in the darkened room. He'd forgotten how well worn in and comfortable the little single mattress was and could still smell the fabric softener in the sheets. He'd forgotten to ask Sakura if she'd been having them changed and his plant watered. Besides her, the only other person might be Naruto that would bother. But he seemed pretty preoccupied with his self-loathing so undoubtedly it must be she.
Dragging himself into a scalding hot shower to let the sweat from his long night slide from his body, Kakashi thought about just picking up and leaving. He'd made his report and that was all there was to his duty, right?
"Don't fool yourself, Kakashi," he heard Obito chide in his head.
He supposed he still wanted to see if Sakura remembered her rapid drunken attempt to seduce him and he was finding the adult version of her mildly interesting.
Getting dried off and dressed in a fresh uniform, Kakashi slipped on all his standard gear and decided to make a quick trip to the memorial for Obito and Rin. If Naruto was there, he could kill two birds with one stone.
The sun was out, and the breeze was cool, but much calmer than the day before. It seemed the long black sleeves and vest were enough and he was grateful he didn't bring the black coat after debating over it before he left.
The memorial was only a five minute walk from his meagre apartment, so Kakashi took his time, grabbing a small offering on the way. But when he reached one of his favourite trees, he found that his time at the memorial would have to wait.
Naruto was there, as was to be expected, but he was not alone. Recovering miraculously fast from any sort of hangover, Sakura had joined him. He sat the same prostrate way he sat the day before, but today the young Hokage sat behind him with her legs against his and her front pressed against his back. Her long shapely arms were wrapped around his stomach and her head lay between his shoulder blades.
"Do you want to try a mission today?" she asked gently, her eyes closed.
Naruto's head rose a little and his eyes flicked in Kakashi's direction before he looked down at the hands clasped together at his stomach.
"Sakura? Why don't you blame me for Sasuke's death?" Naruto asked.
Kakashi could see Sakura's head slowly rise and her frightened green eyes open to stare at the messy tufts of blond hair at the back of Naruto's head. His question had obviously shocked her, and it seemed painfully true that they had never properly broached the subject before.
"I told you before that I didn't." Her eyes narrowed as if the idea she could think that about him made her angry.
"But why don't you? It was my hand he died by," Naruto whispered.
"Was it really? I don't think it was, Naruto. It was his own, and Itachi's and Orochimaru's and Madara's. He was manipulated by so many people that he probably couldn't even tell what side he was on in the end. If he could have been saved by any means, he would have. That day that I saw him come in the village, all I could see was hate in his dark unfamiliar eyes. He wasn't our Sasuke anymore. He'd left us so long before, I think we'd kept him the boy that was on our team in our minds and that picture didn't change for us. The man that you killed that day was not who we always thought he was. No one, I promise you, ever blamed you for doing the right thing. You took on the awful burden you still carry and you didn't deserve one minute of it. I wish I could take it for you. I didn't lose him that day, I lost you."
Kakashi watched her wipe at a tear quickly and then lie her head back down on his back, her long ponytails cascading along her thick black cardigan.
"You sound like Kakashi," Naruto huffed with a laugh.
"Do I?" she laughed shyly. "That's too bad. I always thought that guy was full of shit."
"He'll hear you," Naruto chuckled.
"He's probably still lying in his bed. And if he does, I don't care. He's going to leave again soon anyway."
Naruto put his hands on her hands and his eyes flicked in Kakashi's direction again. "It was a shock to see him but the bastard doesn't look any different, does he."
Sakura shrugged against him. "He looks a little different to me, I guess. I wish he'd stay. There's something comforting about having him back. I think I missed him more than I realized."
"You could order him to stay, you know," Naruto snorted, finding his own amusement in knowing Kakashi was still listening.
"I'd love to but he won't. I asked him to come and see me last night and he totally ignored that request. I probably couldn't even order that guy to ignore my orders. He'd start listening just to spite me." She huffed out an exaggerated breath.
"Let's get some ramen, Sakura. I'm hungry," Naruto added shuffling his body a little to show his intention.
Kakashi could see the surprise in Sakura's face when he'd made the suggestion. Obviously it was a change in the routine and was something else promising. What he also noticed was that she was unaware she'd seen him at all the night before and he supposed he was a little disappointed.
Sakura sat at her desk pouring over more records and meeting minutes, hoping to get at least one pile off her desk by the time Shizune poked her head in and warned her that she was overworking and should leave. Usually she could get another two hours of work in before her loyal assistant became rabid.
The door creaked a little and Sakura mumbled to the papers, "I know, I know, it's late. I'll leave soon."
"Is it? I thought it was still early," Kakashi's calm voice said from the doorway.
"Oh, it's you," Sakura mumbled under her breath as she looked back down at her papers.
"What a lovely greeting, Hokage-sama. I'm pleased to see you too," he replied sweetly.
"You were supposed to see me yesterday after speaking with Naruto…" she reprimanded coolly, but then her face lost a bit of intensity as she glanced up at him. "You spoke with him, didn't you. He seemed different today."
"I spoke with him. He's holding a lot of blame, but I think he's willing to let it go. He just needs to hear the right things a few more times."
"Today, he asked me why I didn't blame him. I've told him before. He said I sounded like you, you know. Maybe he just needed to hear it confirmed by someone he looked up to. I think in some twisted way he looked at you and Jiraiya as father figures."
Kakashi nodded, but then focused on her pretty face as she smiled expectantly at him. "I'm really glad you came back. But I guess you'll be thinking about leaving again soon, right?"
"I was," he responded honestly.
"Is there anything I can do to make you stay for a while?" Her smile dropped away.
Inner Kakashi began stripping her with his eyes again. "I'll see if I can come up with something. I don't suppose you have any ideas? I mean, because you're sober and we're alone."
"What?" she said with narrowed eyes.
"Just double checking. If I think of something I'll let you know. And I'll inform you before I set off again. Sound fair…Hokage-sama?" Kakashi said evenly, his visible eyebrow cocked.
"I suppose…" she responded with some suspicion but seemed to give up quickly. "Well, since you aren't leaving right now…did you want to get a drink with me?"
Kakashi tipped his head and regarded the way she picked at the button on her cardigan as she asked. Her eyes were moving from the window to his face, then down to her restless fingers. A demure smile crept across her pink lips.
She was flirting with him. Whether she knew it or not, she was attracted to him and was doing all those little tells women did when they wanted some attention. It was an interesting development and it appeared she was seeing him as a man now. He realized there was a definitive lack of her addressing him as Sensei as well.
Kakashi wanted to smile widely in amusement but managed to refrain. It appeared that she was attracted to him drunk and sober. He imagined they probably had that in common, but hadn't tested the theory with him drunk yet.
A very interesting development indeed.
"I have to pass tonight, Sakura. But ask me again tomorrow."
A second morning in Konoha dawned and Kakashi stared at the clock that read 8:30 AM. He'd been in the village one night more than he'd really planned to and knew that there would be at least one more after that. But three was the absolute limit, he told himself. Wrap up the problems and get out of Dodge, his inner voice encouraged. But of course, that was easier said than done.
He did his reacquired routine of a quick, burning hot shower and breakfast, followed by the trip to the memorial. Of course, Naruto was there again though alone as he was the first time. But today, he was lying on his back and staring up at the clouds as the sunshine bathed his black clothes in heated rays instead of staring at the carved names.
"Yo, Sensei," he laughed, beating Kakashi to the punch.
"Morning," Kakashi half-yawned back. "Looks like you've found a good way to occupy your time. Is that a rabbit?" He pointed to one of the fluffy white monoliths dancing across the sky.
Naruto rolled onto his side and rubbed a closed bright blue eye before grinning. "Can't really think of a better way to waste a day, Sensei."
"I'm feeling a little rusty. How bout a good spar?" Kakashi tempted and watched Naruto's face fall a little.
"I don't spar much anymore."
"Perfect. Then I can kick your ass a little more easily. You never could beat me, anyway." Kakashi placed a hand on his own shoulder and worked at it roughly finding he must have slept funny on it. "I'll see if that little girl from the gate guard is around."
"Funny," Naruto groaned. "All right, Sensei. I'm wise to what you're doing, but let's get it over with. I imagine you have some unwritten agenda that you have to check off before you leave again so let's get one more checkmark in the margin."
"That's the spirit," Kakashi said dryly.
The training fields were well maintained and from where they stood they could hear the metallic clang of weapons and shouts of other people in the area. Occasional laughs broke out as well as groans of pain and shrieks of aggression. It was another thing that reminded Kakashi of his younger days – though the memories that came to mind were the ones of his only genin team arguing amongst themselves.
"How about we keep the chakra out of it. Let's have a nice tai-jutsu spar," Naruto dictated, unzipping his black jacket and tossing it down on a large boulder at the edge of the grassy field.
"Sounds fine," Kakashi agreed, shrugging off his own vest to throw onto the grass.
"You don't have any bells in your pants do you, Sensei?" Naruto teased.
"None that jingle," Kakashi mumbled, working his hands snugly into his gloves with a pull on the edge of the black leather. "Why don't we get started?"
"Fair enough," Naruto growled as he ran at Kakashi with speed faster than the copy-nin was used to seeing in a regular tai-jutsu fight. With no chakra behind him, Naruto almost resembled his father in speed. And when the first blow came and Kakashi blocked it with a leg-guard, he felt the metal crack painfully against his shin.
He ducked the next swing of a right, but a roundhouse caught Kakashi in the shoulder and toppled him to the ground heavily. He rubbed at what felt like a hairline fracture in his arm, but stood back up as quickly as possible, hiding the injury. Amazing, he thought. Since the Yondaime, Kakashi had not seen such power or such skill.
"Ready, Sensei?" Naruto asked with a little concern.
Kakashi nodded once, then zipped forward, taking a first swing at Naruto's side to find he dodged it and countered with a kick to the side that Kakashi felt graze his shirt edge as he leapt backwards. Clearly, the older jounin was at a disadvantage. It seemed Naruto's skills had managed to increase exponentially though he sat in front of the memorial, day after day. Even his wiry frame held immense strength.
For another few minutes, they continued to fight. Naruto landed some more blows, but Kakashi felt that his old student had taken some strength out of them. Kakashi would normally scold him, but felt a little relieved that he might not have to crawl to the hospital and get someone to heal him just from sparring.
He'd managed to bloody Naruto's nose with a kick, but almost immediately after the hit and the first spurt of blood, the surge stopped and the swelling faded as if it never happened.
"I think we'll stop there." Kakashi held up a hand as he leaned over to catch his breath. His shoulder throbbed painfully and he felt the lack of movement in the joint. Had they gone on longer, Naruto might have turned him into a squishy paste with just his quick fists. Impressive. Truly impressive.
"You okay, Sensei?" Naruto inquired nervously.
"Yep. Just old bones creaking, that's all. How about some ramen? I'll treat." Kakashi didn't like the obvious strain in his own voice and how breathy he sounded, but inwardly, he was happy to see Naruto still had all the necessary pieces to take on the role of Hokage. Now he just needed the reason and desire.
"I think maybe we should take you to the hospital. I heard the crack when I hit your shoulder. You must be in some pain."
Kakashi laughed weakly and then shook his head. "I hate hospitals."
"You must be insane to spar with him," Sakura scolded as she pressed her warm hands against Kakashi's bare shoulder. She'd made him take his arm out of his shirt, which turned out to be the worst possible movement to make with his sort of injury. But it wasn't in him to wince in front of a former student, a medic, or an attractive woman. Since she was all three, he couldn't even flinch.
"I've been accused of being that, yes," Kakashi said matter-of-factly. "But the testing was inconclusive."
"Funny," she grumbled, closing her eyes to concentrate. "I don't remember the last time he sparred, Kakashi. Did he seem to enjoy it?"
"I think he was worried about cracking me in half some of the time, but I think for the most part he rose to it."
Sakura's heated fingertips pressed into spots on his skin as her chakra slid in and out through his muscles and bones, mending them and dulling the pain. It tickled slightly and Kakashi could feel it joining with his chakra, using it to mend him, twining the power and filling him with an enjoyable comfort.
"That's better. You damaged the rotator cuff and had a fracture in your collarbone," she said professionally. Opening her eyes, she stared into his one exposed one. "Lie down please."
"Is that necessary?"
"Why do you always question me? I said lie down," she hissed softly, trying to keep the smile on her face.
"Okay, Okay," Kakashi placated, spinning on the hospital cot and lying down on the cool, sterile smelling sheet between his body and the vinyl surface of the bed.
Her fingers went back to his arm again and the chakra slid into the shoulder giving it an extra burst of cool painkiller that washed through and made him sigh softly.
"Feels good, hm?" she said softly.
"Hm," he answered quietly, his eyes closed as she ran her fingers along his bicep gently, her fingertips warm as they pressed in her energy.
"I'm just checking the rest of the area. Is there anywhere else that hurts?"
"Uh, yeah. My shin is sore."
Slowly, Sakura continued to run her fingers long his skin, pressing here and there, following the natural curve of his muscles with such gentleness that he shivered once or twice. To Kakashi, the room became quiet and still. Her hands traced down his forearm slowly before she took his hand in hers and traced the inside of his palm with a fingertip.
Kakashi's eyes remained closed and he felt a little too relaxed, almost sleepy. A finger traced in a circle around his palm, then slid down each finger slowly, pausing at each knuckle and joint to spread the warm dull tingle everywhere. She went to the next finger, leaving sensations that remained long after her finger had moved on. After turning his hand over, Sakura traced again from his fingernail back to his knuckle.
"Does this hurt?" she whispered, focusing on his baby finger.
"Not really," he answered just as quietly.
A burst of chakra shot through his little finger making the hair on his arms stand up as if he had been electrified by something that felt entirely too good.
"Left leg or right?" she asked quietly, carefully putting his hand back down on the bed and moving down.
"Left," he answered, feeling a sudden anticipation that she was going to do more wonderful things to him.
With the deliberate gentleness that only exceptional medics had, Kakashi felt Sakura roll up his pant leg and place her talented fingertips on his knee. A jolt of chakra scoped through it, dancing among the bone and meniscus, fixing what he knew was probably a tear. Again, her fingers caressed him gently as they moved over the skin, pushing her perfect energy through his muscles and bone to fix all the things in there that had ached over the years as well as his newly acquired injury. Tingles followed her fingers as they maneuvered in lines down his calf and shin, and circling his ankle before she stopped and just held it.
"Anywhere else?"
Kakashi opened his eyes and looked at her flushed face. He knew using her chakra so deeply was probably an effort. "Just my right side a little."
Sakura nodded, her face calm and straight as she stayed completely businesslike doing her favourite sort of work. Kakashi wondered vaguely how often she got to come and do actual healing anymore.
"Here?" she breathed out, dragging his shirt up his firm abdomen and letting the fingers of her other hand trace along his skin behind it so slowly it felt overtly sexual to the copy-nin.
Kakashi closed his eyes again as just the feel of a woman's hand on his body brought out more than just an awareness of being touched. His entire focus was centralized on the point where her fingers met his skin. Again she delved her chakra into his body, streams of it pressing pleasurable sensations through his abdomen and reaching all the way up to his chest.
When the tickling pleasure reached into his lower abdomen, he couldn't stand it anymore.
"That's fine, Sakura," Kakashi said a little too quickly as he sat up and grabbed her wrist. It was too much, too close. The last thing he wanted was to get aroused in front of her. He'd never be able to look her in the face again.
"I just wanted to check your hip, Kakashi. I felt some damage near it."
Oh God no, he thought to himself as he realized what it would be like to have her pushing that fantastic sensation into his body in that region. "I feel great, Sakura. Thanks. I really should be going."
He looked up at her pink cheeks and the tiny bit of beaded sweat on her brow and upper lip. She licked her dry lips and tried to smile a little as her eyes kept drifting to where he slid his arm back into his shirt before he pulled it back down over his stomach. He sat on the cot and pulled his leg up to unroll his pants back down.
"I haven't done any healing in a while. I didn't hurt you, did I?" she asked as she drew so near to him that her hip was against his knee.
"No. It felt grea…okay, it felt okay…" Kakashi mumbled, finding her sweet aroma overpowering as was the scent of something else underneath. Oh shit, his inner self exclaimed as he realized that what he was picking up was her arousal. That heady, delicious scent that mingled with her exotic perfume was an invitation nearly impossible to resist.
"Thanks again for everything you're doing for Naruto. I think he's changing a little. He's been that same way so long that even a small change is so noticeable. I really wish I had some way to repay you for your effort," she said quietly, her intense gaze boring into him. "And I wish I had a way to make you stay a little longer."
"He's coming around, Sakura. And…I could probably…stay for a day or two longer…" Kakashi responded, practically drowning in the reeling desire she was steeped in. It was all he could do to not take her on the cot right there in the hospital room. "I…I really need to leave."
Sliding off the bed and taking a step away from her, he ran a tense hand through his unruly hair. "I'll ah…"
"Drink tonight?" she interjected before he could make his excuses or blow her off. "You told me to ask you today. I wouldn't mind hearing about your travels in the North Country and I don't think I got that report on the uprising."
"It was more like two guys and a sign than an uprising. But I did say that…" Kakashi replied cautiously. "All right, Sakura. One drink can't hurt."