Chapter one: Mission
"Kinai-sensei?" A brown-haired chuunin looked up from her desk. A black-haired chuunin with his hitai-ate worn as a bandana entered the dark classroom. The students had long ago left the Academy, but as a teacher, Kinai still had work to do.
"Hai, Izumo-san?"
"Hokage-sama wants to see you," Izumo said, scratching the back of his head. Kinai smiled at him and rose.
"Well, then I better go seeing her," she said with said with a sigh. A grey and white wolf lay beside the desk, slumbering, but rose as the chuunin headed for the door. "C'mon Wolf. Gotta get going."
Wolf licked his paws lazily, but followed his master, yawning.
Izumo walked with her on her way to Tsunade's office, also yawning. Kinai looked at him. "Had a though day?" He looked at her and scratched his neck. "Na, not really. We haven't really had some incoming reports today, so Iruka-san and Kotetsu did the work in the report room. And you?"
Kinai patted Wolf on his head as he appeared beside her. "Not really either. The kids were usually nice today. Even Konohamaru could actually sit still and participate active in the lessons."
Izumo smiled widely. "Amazing. But," he looked at the kunoichi. "How come you're still here, then?"
"Well, in periods like this, the apartment is so quiet and boring. No one to talk with besides Wolf, so I'd rather do my paperwork at the Academy than home. At least, here's almost people 24/7, and always someone to talk with. It's nice in lonely evenings." Kinai gave Izumo an innocent smile and shrugged. The shinobi grinned and waved after her as he left them for other business.
--
As they reached the big brown door symbolizing Tsunade's office, Kinai nodded shortly to the two ANBU guardians before she knocked at the door and pushed it open.
Tsunade sat behind her huge desk, turning a sake-cup between her high-polished fingers. She smiled evilly when she noticed the dark expression on her chuunin's face. When Kinai stopped in front of the desk, she made only a short salute before bury her hands deep into her pockets.
The hokage placed the cup on her desk. "You sure remind me of Kakashi when you do that," she said, snickering, making Kinai sigh deep. Wolf laid down beside his master.
"Before you say anything, Hokage-sama, so let me guess why you wanted to see me. You've got a new mission for me, right?"
The hokage smiled. "Bingo," she grinned, making Kinai sigh again.
"I'm just so lucky…"
"So… you want it?"
"I really can't believe why you're asking. I really don't have a choice to choose, do I?" She caught the scroll which Tsunade tossed at her. "I'll see you off by dawn then. Dismissed!"
--
Kinai looked at the scroll which she still had in her hand. The rain poured down, soaking them both. She sighed and put it into her chest pocket. Wolf looked at her and made a noise. She looked at him. "What's the matter?"
Wolf shook his head and looked at her again. "Nothing's wrong, you know. I'm fine," Kinai smiled. The animal just yawned as if not believing.
"Hey! I am telling the truth!"
--
As they finally entered their apartment, they were soaked to their skin. Wolf soon got rid of the water in his fur by shaking it of. Kinai did only leave her boots by the door and walked inside the apartment leaving wet spots everywhere she went.
She walked straight to the couch and sat down. On a small table beside the couch stood a couple of pictures. One of them showed Kakashi and team 7, the other showed a three year old Kinai sitting on the shoulders of the Yondaime Hokage. Kinai smiled when she saw it. The last picture was almost hidden behind the others. The young chuunin arranged the pictures so all pictures could be seen. It was similar to the team 7-picture, it just had Kakashi's team and sensei instead.
When Kinai looked up again, Wolf entered the living room, carrying some towels in his mouth. He placed then in front of Kinai and looked at her.
"What?" Kinai laughed.
Wolf licked his mouth.
"Hey there, don't give me that look. I'm fine, right? I'm just a bit…wet. That's all."
Wolf stared at her and yawned.
"Fine, when you say it… Daddy…" she sighed and mumbled quiet: "If I did get sick, I wasn't supposed to take that mission tomorrow…"
Wolf placed a paw on her knee making Kinai stick her tongue out at him. She took a towel and began to dry herself.
The silence was interrupted when a growl filled the room. Kinai looked surprised at her stomach. "Hm…Maybe I should go make some food, eh?" Wolf woofed and licked her hand as the kunoichi patted him.
Leaving the towel hanging around her shoulders, she rose and made her way into the kitchen. Wolf followed, walking under the table and laid down. Kinai scowled after her, muttering something about 'lazy creature', but moved to her cooking before Wolf got an eye of her.
As the kitchen was filled with the sound of sizzling meat and the dripping water from the kunoichi's wet clothes, Kinai hummed a small melody, not noticing a dark shadow entering the room.
The figure sneaked up behind her, then, suddenly, it swung an arm around her waist and held up a gloved hand to cover her mouth. Her left hand flew to her weapon purse, but it got caught before she could get any weapons.
"Maa, not so hasty," a very familiar voice whispered near her left ear, followed by a masked kiss on her cheek.
Kinai relaxed and made an irritated smirk. "Tell me," she started and turned around in her husbands arms. "Why in the name of the hokage are you back so early?"
Kakashi looked surprised at her and pouted miserably. "You're not happy to see me?"
Kinai laughed at his expression and tried to free herself from his grip. "Of cause I am. I just didn't expect you so soon."
"Really?" He tightened his grip around her. "You had another appointment perhaps?" He put a pressure on 'appointment'.
Kinai giggled. "Do I sense a tiny hint of jealousy?" she said, teasing him.
"In your dreams," he sulked. Kinai smiled at him and received another masked kiss, this time on her mouth. She kissed him back, inwardly cursing the fabric which kept their mouths apart. A sudden noise made them part and both eyed the open door. Wolf stood in the doorway looking at them in a very resignedly way. Kinai chuckled as he growled annoyed at Kakashi, making the jounin tighten his grip around his precious wife. Kinai strained herself to break free from his grip, fruitlessly.
Finally he let her go, but it was only because something at the cooker started to smell a bit burned. Kinai practically jumped to the cooker to prevent her cooking to be spoiled. Kakashi just put his hand in his pocket and started to read in a little orange book.
Kinai sighed. Fortunately, the dinner wasn't completely spoiled, but it didn't taste nor smell like rose petals. Signing in vain, she tipped the contents op a teller and gave it to Wolf, who immediately started on eating.
"Congratulations, you just spoiled your own dinner!" she declared wiping her hands.
Kakashi just looked lazily over the edge of his book, mumbling, "Huh?", as if he hadn't heard a word of what she had said. Kinai sighed and threw a wet dishcloth after him, hitting the wall behind his as he lazily moved his head to avoid the cloth in hitting him. Kinai stuck her tongue out at him making him smirk.
Wolf just looked at them, enjoying his meat.
"By the way," Kakashi began still looking in his book. "How come you're all wet?"
Kinai looked at herself. "Well, if you haven't noticed, it's raining outside. But," she made a gesture to his own clothes, "it actually doesn't look like you're too dry yourself!" Kakashi looked down himself and 'oh-ed' as if he just suddenly got the reason why he felt so clammy. Kinai rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest.
"Well, since you decided, beef's not your favourite food, then do you favour other kinds of food? Because I, in particular, do fancy to eat after 6 o'clock."
Kakashi laid his book on the table and looked at her.
"And," Kinai added, "only includes food which you can buy and cook, and it doesn't include me!"
Kakashi pouted again, but Wolf made some weird noises as if laughing. Kinai smiled victorious.
--
Sitting comfortable on the couch Kinai sat reading, wearing nothing but a bathrobe and a towel around her hair. Wolf had placed himself beside her, sleeping soundly. Kinai had one hand on her book while the other petted Wolf, scratching him behind his ear. The fire in the fireplace crackled merrily. Kakashi entered the living room wearing only pants and a towel around his shoulders. Kinai looked up and patted smiling on the seat next to her, gesturing him to sit next to her. The jounin dug his hands deep into his pockets and moved to sit next to her.
When he sat down, Kinai leaned against him to make herself more comfortable. She leaned her head against his curve between neck and shoulder, putting her book down.
"Mmm, you smell so much nicer now," she whispered. Kakashi smiled and rested his cheek against her head. "So do you."
"Tough day?"
"Hm, though week. Typical Tsunade. Only stupid missions for me."
"Heh, I guess. The kids, though, haven't been that bad. So, all in all this day has been nice. Though..." Kinai trailed of. Kakashi lifted his head and looked at her. "What?"
"Well," she moved her head to look at him. "I got a mission." Kakashi pulled his hitai-ate down so it covered both his eyes. "Night," he mumbled and rested his head at the back rest.
"Hey!" Kinai laughed and hit him on the shoulder.
Kakashi placed his hitai-ate normal, leaving it only to cover his sharingan. Kinai had to admit that he looked slightly disappointed. "Listen, it's not like this is something new, right?"
Kakashi just sat there, not even looking at her. Kinai started to get a little irritated. "Kakashi, please look at me, or at least answer!" When he finally looked at her, he wore an unreadable expression.
"Hey," the chuunin smiled. "Come on, give me a smile." But Kakashi just stared at a spot above the fireplace and pulled Kinai into a hug. "Which rank?" he finally asked.
She could clearly hear his heart beating deep within his chest. Kinai bit her lip. "B."
She could have sworn his heart skipped a beat when he heard the rank. She looked at him, "But I've already read the scroll. It doesn't seem to be something special! Just an escort of some feudal lord. Nothing else!" But the jounin didn't seem convinced.
Kinai felt the irritation bloom again.
"When do you leave?"
"At dawn."
Silence again. Kinai hated this. Whenever she was given a mission, they always to go through this.
"I thought I could spend some quality time with my wife, but I see I can't"
Kinai stood up and threw her book onto the couch. "Listen, I'm the subordinate. It's not like I just can walk up to Tsunade and say, 'Hey Granny! I don't want to go on that mission, 'cuz I want to spend some quality time with my husband. And besides, he will not let me!' How does that sound?"
Kinai felt her eyes burn. She really hated this. "Everyone asks why I don't join ANBU, or at least become a jounin. I like teaching, and you won't let me because you don't want me to face the cruelness of ANBU!"
"You don't know the dangers on such missions. You don't know which blood baths they can cause."
"I saw my parents die!!"
Silence again. Kinai felt her adrenaline pump faster the angrier she grew. "I can't deny my abilities. Though I'm not of high rank, Tsunade can use my abilities to tough missions. And I can handle it! Don't underestimate me!"
"I don't."
"You do!" Wolf woke as they argued and looked at them both. Kinai raged within. Why didn't he understand?
"You don't understand me!"
Kinai turned around and angrily wiped tears away. She rushed to the bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her.
Kakashi looked after her, inwardly cursing himself. Why can't you just tell her instead of making her sad? Damn you, Hatake! You and your damned pride!
Wolf looked resignedly at him and continued on sleeping.
"Well, I can't expect any help from your side, can I?!"
Kakashi sighed and let his head fall back.