Chapter 10
Kakashi looked up from his special edition copy of Icha Icha which held spicier chapters than the others. He was just in the mood to reread it for some reason. But he set it aside watching from the covered porch as the litter carrying his intended arrived.
After a month of rumors and shinobi giggling over their Hokage's love life, they deemed it time to invite her back to Konoha. Even Sakura had asked him directly if it was true and he had skirted the question with well-played awkwardness. He was a little proud of himself for fooling his former student so easily but also a little disappointed in her for falling for it.
Mai was helped out of the carrier. She smiled and stepped towards her host. Kakashi pushed himself to his feet to greet her properly. She held the front of her long dress to keep from tripping on the pair of steps to be in front of him. Her smile never changed, "good evening, my love."
Kakashi was taken aback by the familiarity. He cleared his throat and looked at the ninja that had escorted her. "Thank you for ensuring Lady Sikiyo's safety. I look forward to the report."
The three shinobi bowed. "Yes, Hokage-sama." When they took their leave he could hear them snickering, one cracking a crude joke.
He sighed, choosing to ignore it.
"I enjoyed your letters," Mai shared.
"I enjoyed writing them," he lied. In truth he enjoyed learning useless information about flowers and listening to Iruka laugh and tease each other over the strange things the other found interesting.
She took his arm and walked with him into the large home.
Her things were moved into the guest room she had taken before. He was aware of the kinds of things that would be said, like the joke the chunin had made. But he didn't care so much about the silly things people said.
In a few days they were seated in the council room together. Her eyes kept looking to the side of his face, he was well aware of it and kept looking forward boredly to keep from accidentally embarrassing her.
"The shinobi of the village favor Mai's presence." Koharu shared. "They believe our Hokage is happier. That he now leads with a heart for love and peace."
Kakashi sighed and put his chin on his hand. "Ma, such sappy ideology... can that not be brought up here? At least when I'm not around?"
He was ignored. "The villagers feel the same way." Homura added.
"I think it is a good time to ask the Feudal Lord for his permission to make this relationship official."
They were all in agreement.
After his day in the office he decided to visit Gai and inform him of the council's plans. They sat at the shogi board, as they usually did. Gai would never turn down a challenge from his rival.
"What could be a more beautiful expression of youth than the wonder of love! I have heard such great things about your relationship Kakashi!" Gai was practically throwing himself from his chair in all his movements.
"Good." Kakashi said, his voice monotone.
"But!" He leaned over the board dropping his voice to his take on a whisper. "I have also heard less innocent things."
Kakashi hummed looking over the board. The village thought the love was real, and what else did lovers who had been separated by such a distance for such a time do when reunited? It was all intentional, to see if there was any negativity in regards to the Hokage's 'distraction', and also to prove he could carry out his responsibilities in her presence.
"There is nothing more exuberant and joyous than love shared! And how one's heart thumps and bumps with the bouncing of two bodies joined in such youthful expression!"
Kakashi's eye lids lowered, in a blank look. "Gai, you do remember that this is all staged, right? That I'm not actually in love."
Gai's expression fell from a wide grin and wiggling brows to utter dismay. "How could you, Kakashi? To dishonor such a beautiful spring flower with un-pure corruption! A delicate rose will lose its petals if a man does not use love in handling it!"
"Please stop listening to rumors," Kakashi said quietly. "I have not dishonored Mai in any way." He couldn't believe he was having this conversation.
Gai was elated to hear such a thing and was grinning wide, nodding in approval. "Good, good! It will be a glorious wedding night! Two pure spring flowers cherishing one another in the spring of their youth!"
Kakashi sighed. He didn't have the heart to tell him his 'flower' had been corrupted by many dark things a long time ago.
After he won another match against his rival, Kakashi made his way home. He had his evening tea across from the woman that would be his wife. She was quiet, looking out towards the fireflies in the warm night air.
Kakashi watched her, wondering if someday he could love her. His gut felt ill at the unpleasantness of such a thought, to force himself to love someone. No, he would continue as planned, respectably, and as emotionally guarded as always.
The following afternoon Iruka was in his office. "Oh, um, Kakashi-sama," Iruka sounded more tense than usual. Then again genin exams were fast approaching. "I brought the list of students from my class and their most recent marks, like you asked."
"Thank you," Kakashi tapped a corner of his desk where Iruka could place them. After finishing the line he had been reading he looked up to notice the teacher seemed out of sorts. "Are you really that worried about your students passing?"
"No, no," Iruka reached up, touching the back of his head. "Well, I guess I'm a little worried, they'll make a mockery of my teaching and embarrass me in front of the Hokage. It's the same thing I worry about every exam time."
"You don't have to worry about your students embarrassing you, sensei," Kakashi spoke kindly and looked at his work again like nothing was amiss before delivering the punch line, "you do that well enough on your own." Iruka's shocked face turned pink as he scrambled for a response. Kakashi turned back with a humored smile, watching the teacher fumble through words. "Right now is a perfect example."
"What do you say when the Hokage is teasing you?" Iruka snapped and crossed his arms.
Kakashi chuckled and put up a hand to let him know he was done. He reached for the papers. "Do you have any you think will have a difficult time passing?"
"A few," Iruka sighed, arms falling to his side. "I'm trying to convince them it'd be best to wait until the next exam."
Kakashi nodded. "Thank you, Iruka." He looked up again when the chunin seemed to linger, shifting on his feet. "Was there something else?"
"Um," he touched the corner of his scar on his cheek. "I was thinking we could stop our sparring matches and I take my classes back."
Kakashi slid back in his chair. "Have I hurt your feelings that badly?"
Iruka's faced seemed to turn redder, "no! No. Um, it's just-..."
Whatever he was about to say was cut off by a knock on the office door. It opened without Kakashi's acknowledgement. "I brought you lunch," she spoke in a sweet voice. "Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting?"
Kakashi waved her in. "No, we're nearly done." He didn't care what Iruka's reasons were. Those sparring matches were the only thing keeping him sane and he wasn't about to give them up. So he looked at his chunin and said in the kindest authoritative voice he could, "You can have your classes back, sensei. Kurenai feels it was too soon for her to return to work. You of course will have to take less mission room shifts, but your work load will remain the same after the exams are over."
Iruka seemed to understand. "Yes, Hokage-sama."
Mai had stepped closer to the chunin at his desk. She smiled at the teacher. "Is he always so strict with you shinobi?"
Iruka looked at her, he was blank, for the first time Kakashi couldn't read him and he wondered what he was trying so hard to hide. Then he smiled, his soft humored smile, and answered, "no, not all of us." He bowed low, "good day, Kakashi-sama." He stood again and walked towards the door.
"Will I have to keep reminding you, sensei?" Kakashi leaned onto his hand.
Iruka turned back, Kakashi didn't see his smile. He saw the blankness of usually gentle eyes. "Afraid so, Kakashi-sama." He walked out of the room.
Kakashi barely pondered the bizarre interaction before he looked at the woman still standing near his desk. "I won't stay long. I just thought it would be good to be present, show my support for you."
Kakashi nodded and took the offered bento box to eat at his desk. "Thank you." He watched her leave again and slid back in his chair, thinking over his words and how he could have offended the chunin.