Chapter 12
"How do you feel this morn--?" Kakashi stopped as he came into the bedroom.
Aya looked up from her position on the bed. She had been finishing the blueprints since early this morning. She had even risen before Kakashi but she wasn't about to tell him that she had quietly made breakfast and watched him sleep from the kitchen doorway as the dawn broke over the horizon. It had cast a lovely shade of orange and yellow over his face, mask, and hands. The curtains from the living room were drawn and light was softly pouring onto the couch and it's sleeping owner. She had stored that moment in her memory to paint later, but that too wasn't going to be discussed. Today they planned to go out for a picnic and she was ready to feel the outdoors again.
"I'm ready, let's go," she said.
Kakashi thought she was going to pop a blood vessel with her excitement. He was glad that she had hope back in her eyes, though; it almost made him forget that there were any cares in the world.
He had noticed the full picnic basket on the counter when he got up but hadn't thought that Ayaka was the cause of it for some reason. Maybe he was imprinted with the idea that she was going to be dependent on him for much longer than just these past seven weeks.
He was beside her as they walked down the hallway and when they reached the stairs he was tempted to pick her up but she would've slapped him if he tried. Kakashi knew when pride was more important to a woman than her healing legs.
The day was perfect, as Ayaka kept saying it would be. The sun was warm and the breeze flowed at just the right speed. The rain wasn't due until afternoon and they had the advantage of being the only ones who didn't need to go work on a mission.
"This hill is wonderful, what do you think?" she asked without turning to see his reaction. Kakashi was glad she didn't for she would have seen him staring at her.
He watched as she scanned the area by shielding her eyes with her hand. The wind picked up her jacket sending it dancing around her thighs. Her hair sparkled as though it was a waterfall and her smile could surpass the sun. He felt his heart lighten at her finding joy in the small things around them.
Surprisingly, Aya didn't pursue a comment from him; she just set the blanket out for them to sit on. Kakashi placed the basket on the edge between them and hoped it would be a good protector from Ayaka. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she drew him in like nothing else did.
Especially in public, he had to set barriers between them or gossip would fly.
They talked and Aya didn't seem to notice that he hadn't eaten anything.
Kakashi found himself not hungry for food…he was hungry to know more about Ayaka-sama. He asked the uncomplicated questions and the hard questions about her past, her family, and her education.
He eventually admitted his full past. What it was like to watch his father kill himself and the horror his mom went through at knowing that her husband wasn't in heaven because of it. He explained how he spent more of his educational years under his sempei's direction than with his mom. She had eventually gone to live with his grandparents in seclusion because she couldn't take the village's pity or questions.
Aya understood what he meant; she went through surrounding towns that would know the history of her parent's and clan's destruction. Pity was the last thing she wanted from them, too.
Kakashi inquired about the scar on her right shoulder and Aya looked at him with a questioning brow.
"How did you know I had a scar on my shoulder?"
Kakashi scratched the back of his neck and laughed a little, "Your wraps came undone once."
"Oh," she murmured and blushed slightly, "well the one on my left shoulder is from training and the three on my right shoulder are from…"
He looked up at her for the unfinished sentence but she had a far away look in her eyes. He tried to wait patiently but when she didn't answer he placed his hand on her chin to bring her face towards him.
She searched his eye as if she'd never seen him before and then, in an instant, she smiled as though nothing was wrong.
"Where are they from?"
"I was trying a new jutsu when a stranger happened upon me and fought me without knowing all my techniques. He had assumed that because I was failing at my second stage of creating that I was weak. He thought I hadn't found or developed any other techniques. He was the first ninja I ever killed."
Kakashi didn't know what to say. The look in her eyes told him how it wasn't just scarring on the outside that made her look back on that instance with sadness.
"How old were you?"
"Seven."
Stunned again into silence, Kakashi slowly shoved the basket from between them and pulled her to him. He held her against his chest and she eventually wrapped her arms around his ribcage.
She liked this position. Aya smiled as she steadied her heartbeat and listened to his. Her eyes were level with his neck but she rested her forehead against it instead of staring into his mask. She felt the warmth of his hand climb up and down her back in a soothing fashion. It did more than soothe if she was to be truthful.
"Did he attack you thinking he was going to have an easy win?" he whispered to her.
"He kept saying something I didn't understand then…but I understand now," she replied.
"What did he say?"
"He said, "When I'm finished with you, I'm going to show you how a man spreads his seeds"."
Kakashi's eyes got big and his breathing became labored for a few moments. She was almost raped. If she hadn't been ready with other ways of protecting herself, she would have been prey to that monster. Unconsciously he pulled her in tighter and she drew her legs up under her so she wouldn't slide down his vest.
"I'm glad you're alright," he murmured and laid his chin against her hair.
She nodded once in thank you before she sighed in relief as well.
Her hands started getting cold as another conversation topic came up. The rain that was going to fall was sending a slight cold front through the wind. It wasn't going to rain for another three hours so they kept talking.
Without meaning to, Aya shivered when she was done laughing at something. Kakashi became concerned and asked I she wanted the blanket as some warmth.
"No, I'm alright, its just my hands are cold from the wind change."
"Here," Kakashi said as he unzipped his vest and he brought her against his chest again. She wrapped her arms around a thinner him and it was really warm under the vest. He made an attempt to zip it up partially but they laughed as they couldn't get it to wrap around both of them.
"That's what you get for being so skinny," Aya said between giggles.
"Oi, they tailor these to our exact sizes," he replied with a grin.
"I know…that's why you need to eat slower and more food within a day."
Kakashi shook his head, "I just tend to use it up."
"Hai, that's why you don't have an ounce of fat, it's all this rugged muscle that is hiding under this vest," Ayaka placed her right hand on his abs.
Kakashi felt tingles go down to his toes. "Are you putting chakra in my abs?"
Ayaka laughed at his question, "No, do you want me to?"
"No, it just felt like you did for a minute there…" he covered her hand with his.
She shrugged but wondered what he could have felt if she wasn't using chakra.
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When the rain hit, they were glad they had made it back before the downpour. Both went to separate rooms to dry and change. It was getting close to dinner time when it finally let up.
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Walking into the kitchen and seeing his back to her made her loose her nerve for a moment.
'How am I going to do this?'
Kakashi turned around and noticed how her limp was getting better by the pattern of her walking. He was about to comment on it when he saw the expression on her face.
"Nani?"
"…I-don't-think-that-it-is-proper-for-us-to-be-in-the-same-apartment-now-that-I'm-better!" She rushed it out quickly and louder than she had wished it to.
Kakashi cocked his eyebrow upward but said nothing.
"For propriety. Don't you believe…this will get too difficult to…I know that I…" she paused between so much of it and she didn't know where to start or how to finish.
Putting the dish towel on the counter, he walked to her and lifted her chin upward so she would look him in the eye.
"Are you worried?"
Her eyes said it all but Aya nodded anyways.
"Have you ever…?"
Ayaka pushed away from him slightly, "Dear heavens, no." Her eyes spoke of some panic and hesitation but also a confidence that she knew the meaning of more than what she had experienced.
Kakashi immediately saw the innocence and beauty in the fact that she had never been with a man before. She was so endearing, so pure, so much what he wanted…but he was concerned about the fear that streaked her eyes.
"Aya, I would never make you do anything that you don't want to do," he said softly to reassure her he wouldn't force her into bed.
"That's just it, I want to but I mustn't! It wouldn't be right, it wouldn't be special…believe me, I burn for you, but you and I can't take it to that level of commitment. Whether it is you or not, that I eventually marry, I will remain untouched until my wedding night. I hope that doesn't hurt you…" Aya hadn't seen much from his appearance and wasn't sure how he was going to respond.
Kakashi was speechless. From the moment he had met her he had been attracted to her. The more he learned about her, the more he cared, and this was the icing on the cake. No man had touched her, no man knew her passion and her love, and she admitted that she desired him! Kakashi was trying his best to remain calm and stoic, or at least moderately composed in her presence…but his inner desire for her was also clawing at his chest to be released. Maybe his books had more influence than he had first realized. Would he have more control over his blood pressure if he didn't have pre-images of what it would be like to have her body and soul? 'Most likely,' he thought heavily.
Ayaka was nervous about his silence and yet nothing was going to take back the words that she had thrown into the air moments before.
"It doesn't hurt me." Kakashi paused for a moment but didn't come toward her, "I respect you more than you realize. You're beautiful and I want you more than I can express in words."
Taking a large breath of relief, Aya smiled up into his affectionate eyes without fear. "I don't want to make you leave the apartment but what are we going to do when it gets…?" she didn't finish but he knew she meant when it got dark outside and desire got the best of them.
"I'm not leaving this apartment without you. I am under strict orders to watch over you. I can protect you from out here, though." He motioned with a nod to the living room couch and placed his hands on his lower hips in a relaxed pose as though it didn't bother him.
"Are you sure we can do this?" she asked hoping that he would just say yes even though she would know better…it was getting harder on her by the minute. 'And I haven't even seen all of his face yet! I haven't even kissed the man and I'm worried about being seduced by him!'
"Positive."
Aya smiled and appreciated his confident tone. That was just one more thing to check off the list of things he was good at.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door and they both turned toward it. Kakashi walked to it, looked through the peep-hole and opened the door. A messenger talked with him in hushed tones and Aya recognized him from Tsunade's mansion. She watched as the graveness in Kakashi's eyes grew hard.
The messenger left but Kakashi summoned all of his dogs for a mission. He informed them of their duties and they disappeared through the doorway. He turned to her and didn't speak for a couple moments.
"What's going on?" she finally questioned him.
"The ANBU have asked for my help." He hesitated when she gave him a surprised look, "Someone will be here soon to watch over you while I fulfill a mission."
"I didn't know you were part of…" she barely whispered.
"I guess we won't have to worry about tonight," he told her trying to lighten the mood but he stopped smiling when she made no comment or switch to a smile.
"Is there any way I can help?" she asked trying to put more steel in her voice.
"Stay here and be careful, I don't want to find you over exerted yourself when I get back." Kakashi walked to a cabinet and started putting on long gloves, exchanged his vest and button-down shirt for a silver chest plate over his black spandex muscle shirt, and collected some scrolls. From the shelf above the cabinet he removed a long sword that he unsheathed to check it and put it back in so he could strap it to his back.
Ayaka watched in fascination and walked further into the living room. She realized she was seeing a new side of him.
He removed his forehead protector and his hair flopped down in low spikes, he had a tattoo on his left upper arm in the shape of a sideward eye...or it was a fire symbol…she wasn't sure exactly.
Kakashi also changed his shoes, removed his thigh wrap and was ready to go out the door when he paused. He turned back to her and walked steadily across the room toward her. She didn't dare move and anticipated what he was coming back to do.
Reaching past her head he grabbed a cat-like mask from the shelf and strapped it to his head, letting it rest on his hair.
He finally looked down into her eyes and his expression softened. A breath just escaped her when he removed his lower face mask with his left hand, pulled her face towards his with his right, and kissed her soundly on the lips.
She eventually closed her eyes and deepened the kiss. Her fingers came to his cheeks and felt the warmth of his face. She could feel his breath on her skin.
Nothing could prepare her for the moment but she made it last for as long as he allowed it. Kakashi eventually pulled away from her and brought his mask back up with both hands. His breathing was labored, as was hers, but he quickly got it back to normal before stroking her cheek and saying, "I couldn't help myself."
Before Ayaka could respond, Sakura, Ten-Ten, and Ino walked into the apartment. All three girls stopped and their eyes got really big but nothing comprehendible came out of their mouths as Kakashi and Ayaka separated more gracefully than Aya thought possible.
"Oh! We're sorry," Ten-Ten mentioned and looked down at her feet.
"We should have knocked," Sakura finally sputtered out.
"Uh, are we interrupting…?" Ino said in a knowing tone but she still flushed in awkwardness.
"They sent all three of you over?" Kakashi questioned them because he was able to click out of the embarrassment before Aya was.
"Yeah, good thing, too," Ino stated crossing her arms across her chest.
"Ino, please," Ten-Ten hissed at her, "You have no right to say that. What they do privately is none of our concern."
"I'm going," Kakashi said before giving Ayaka one more look and disappearing from the room.
The girls all stared at Aya as she collected her thoughts and tried to smooth out her breathing. She ultimately cut the awkward silence and invited the girls to sit while she made tea.
"Oh, I can do it Ayaka-sama, if you want to take a seat," Ten-Ten offered. Aya almost declined but she had stood longer than her leg was allowing. Nodding to Ten-Ten, she sat next to Sakura and across from Ino.
"So why did you all come?" Ayaka asked before the romantic moment became a conversation topic.
Sakura explained, "I'm here to give you your check-up."
"I guessed that was the meaning of you being sent, but Tsunade wouldn't send all of you, would she?" Ayaka searched carefully.
"Actually, I wanted to visit you and saw that Sakura was coming over so I joined her in the street," Ino admitted with a pleasant grin on her face. "Besides, I'm still learning this stuff so I need to take notes."
Ten-Ten walked in with the tea tray, "I joined them last minute actually because I too wanted to see how you were since the last time I visited."
"I'm doing well and the pain is minimal most of the time."
"That's good to hear," Ten-Ten replied and started pouring each serving.
"So how long have you and Kakashi been getting close?" Ino asked with a cheeky smirk.
"Ino, I told you, that is none of our business."
"It's alright," Aya stated but looked away, "it all just kind of came about…"
"What do you mean?"
Ayaka explained how they would fight about the weirdest things, then, getting through each other's stubbornness, they figured out why it was so strange between them.
"Our hearts were fighting our heads," she concluded and the three younger girls sighed as though it was the sweetest things they'd ever heard. Aya laughed at them for the way they swooned about it.
"I wish that would happen to me," Ino replied aside but everyone heard her.
"Don't worry, it'll probably sneak up on you when you're not prepared," Sakura replied between sips of tea. Ayaka noticed her far away look and had a hunch about where Sakura's thoughts were.
"I'm sure it'll hit everyone at least once in their lives…" Ten-Ten commented as she poured honey in her tea.
"You don't have room to talk, you already have a man," Ino stated flatly.
Ten-Ten reddened but didn't smile, "I don't know what you're talking about, Ino."
"Oh, please, you and Neji are perfect for each other. It's obvious you like him, too."
"Well, maybe one day he'll see that but he doesn't now…" she said quietly from her seat. The room got uncomfortable so Aya tried a new tactic.
"Sakura, what all do you have to heal tonight?"
The girls stayed somewhat somber but friendly as they watched Sakura heal the left over scars on Aya's arms and work steadily on her leg.
"So I'm guessing there's no news on the mission…" Ayaka said finally. She had been itching to ask but was scared that the news would completely kill the spirit of having friends over like it did when Gai was there last.
"I got news that there was a group of ninja traveling toward Konoha borders last night from somewhere up in the north-western sector," Ino said. "My father is pretty sure it is our guys bringing back your sister."
"Nani?!" Ayaka yelped, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Well, my father worried about giving you false hope," she explained, "but it has to be them."
"Ten-Ten, have you been able to train without your teammates?" Sakura asked trying to change the subject.
"Not regularly, but others have helped me, like Hinata and I went out yesterday."
"That's good…"
The conversation went on and Aya acted as though she was interested, but mentally she was thinking things through. Where the group must be, what road they will be on, and the time it would take to get there.
"Sakura, how do you think I am healing-wise?" Aya asked a couple moments later as she wrapped bandage around her upper arm and disguised her intentions of finding out.
"You should be all set within a couple days, thanks to your good care and rest. Speaking of rest, you should go to bed to revive those muscles I had to put back together last visit. I just messed with them once more, so they may feel sore tomorrow."
Ayaka nodded, "Arigatou," then left the girls.
Waiting for the moon to come up in the northern sky, Aya crawled out of bed, put on her jacket and checked on the girls through the door. When she knew they were all asleep she exited out the window and tested her leg on jumping through the rooftops. It was feeling much better now than earlier that day so she pushed past the remaining pain to speed through the night.
Aya was so excited her blood started pumping really fast. Taking the western pathway she veered north-west in a zigzag fashion incase anyone was following her. When she was positive she was alone she called to the north a mournful noise that was typically only heard by wild cats of the land.
"Nyoko, I'm coming, and you had better be alive," Ayaka whispered as she flew through the treetops.
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Kakashi stilled as he patiently waited. The branch didn't make a sound as his weight shifted slightly. Pakkun appeared and sat next to him.
"How much further?"
"They'll be here in a few seconds."
Just like the dog said, five ninja and two animals came bounding for them. The group stopped all around Kakashi.
"We're worried," Naruto said before putting his sack down, "they gave up too easily."
"They have a plan to attack us when we have our guard down," Neji commented confidently from behind Nyoko.
"I wouldn't put it past them," Lee replied and crossed his arms.
"Kakashi-senpai," Nyoko stepped closer to him, "how is my sister?"
"She's much better," he answered then started formulating a plan with the group on how things should go down in case they did attack.
Everyone agreed on the best course of action and were about to continue when they heard a loud crash.
A big guy, with many markings on his tan skin, pointed his finger at them and glared.
"You aren't getting away that easily!"
Nyoko gasped, "That's the ninja that kidnapped me."
Kiba stepped forward and Akamaru followed but Kakashi grabbed his jacket without moving anything but his arm.
"He's mine."
Kiba understood the implication and nodded.
"So which one of you pansies is going to fight me first?" The loud question echoed through the forest meaningfully.
Kakashi stepped forward onto a closer branch and placed his hands in his pockets.
"Why are you acting so nonchalant? Do you think I'm that easy to beat?"
"This is going to be a breeze," the White Fang answered and slowly lifted his forehead protector with his pointer finger.
"We will see about that!" The ninja called forth a smoke cloud that had a face to it, "Assail, Guano!"
The dark smoke came roaring at Kakashi and he used a water jutsu to douse the face before jumping above it and flinging kunais and shurikens at the ninja. The big green-haired enemy got nicked by two of them but he was barely affected by the sharp weapons.
Laughing at Kakashi's first attempts, he started really dishing out some jutsu using his smoke character. They battled, all the while Kakashi wasn't getting hit but he was playing with him to find out what really could be used against him.
"Is that all you've got?" the tan beast called.
Kakashi felt something knick his arm and he smiled.
"You have guts," the ninja said and then he sneered, "but you aren't the fun kind to fight with…I prefer the pretty blonde that lost her fight when I took the little girl there." He pointed to Nyoko and Kiba put himself in front of her fully blocking the enemy's stare. "She tried her best but she just couldn't top me. My team wanted to have more fun but she was all business. It was a shame she had to be against us; I would have tamed her and made her mine if she wasn't so stubborn."
"She has more strength than what you have," Nyoko hollered at him.
"Oh? Then why did she fail to get you from me?"
Nyoko didn't have an answer because she wasn't conscious when the fight was going on. She wasn't even sure what all happened just that Aya fought five of them and conquered four.
Kakashi was keeping his anger in check from clouding his judgment but he flicked another twelve kunais at the opponent before appearing above him. He tried to slice him with chakra-filled water but the guy dodged him.
"It seems that you are offended by my comment," he boasted before casting away blood from his cheek. "Maybe I should tell you just how weak she is!" Smoke blasted from his hands in a powerful gust towards Kakashi.
Thankfully he was ready. Dodging the blast of air, Kakashi appeared behind him and a large, water-filled bubble surrounded the ninja. He was shocked at how fast Kakashi trapped him.
Kicking and clawing at the bubble's edges did little good, and with the struggle he lost some air he should have been saving.
Kakashi walked around to face him and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"It's a shame really. There was nothing you did that was worth copying."
It then hit the green-haired ninja that Kakashi had the Sharingan eye. He was trapped by it within seconds.
Along with eventually drowning, the ninja went through psychological torture before Kakashi allowed him peace to die.
Nyoko watched as Kakashi just crossed his arms over his chest and relaxed in his stance. She found satisfaction that Kakashi could handle the situation so well and Kiba didn't have to get involved.
"Let's get to the border before night falls on us."
The group left, the bubble slowly evaporating until it released its occupant hours later.
