Author's Notes: I noticed that though I put up 2 chapters last time, the last one received twice as many hits as the next to last chapter. Please note that I sometimes put up more than 1 chapter at a time, depending on length.

Writing a believable romance for Kakashi is very difficult. I had to take a couple of liberties here, but I think it's more believable than having a drunk angsty Kakashi. I don't like stories where Kakashi has to be drunk to have feelings/hit on Iruka/get any action. This is about 4-5 years later. Kakashi is now about 35, nearing the age of people who have mid-life crises and not everything is as it appears as you'll find out later in Parts 4 and 5.

KAKASHI AND THE KUNOICHI FROM THUNDER COUNTRY

PART III - An Old Shinobi Adage

3.1 The Accident

The sun had just set and most people had already returned home for their last meal of the day. The bustling streets and stores of Konoha were now mostly empty. It was a slow, quiet time, but yet a dark form was seen leaping frantically from roof to roof, carrying a heavy burden on its back.

The masked figure leaped down from the roof of a house larger than its neighbors, and landed at its doorstep. The gray haired jounin immediately pounded on the door, "Emergency!" he cried out, tempted to just blow the door open with any number of his many jutsus.

But rather than the gruff old man he expected, a pretty young woman answered the door. She took a quick look at the boy slung over Kakashi's shoulders. "My parents will be out late, but I can help. Follow me." She directed them to the examination room. While Kakashi placed the boy gingerly on the gurney, she prepared the equipment. "What happened?" she asked curtly.

"We were training nearby. Doing chakra control exercises. He fell from the top branch of a tree. I caught him before he hit the ground, but he broke through many branches…"

She quickly connected an IV to the boy's arm and took his pulse and checked his pupils. "I have to perform surgery. You'll have to help me. Go wash up." Her tone was commanding, but shaky, betraying her nervousness.

He noted that she had just stepped out of the shower or bath. She appeared to be wearing only a T-shirt and underwear beneath a short thin robe embroidered with flowers. There had been no time to change. Her hair was down and unbound, the first time he had ever seen it that way. The dark mass flowed just past her shoulders. Its dampness was apparent as it clung to her head and neck.

As she worked, Kakashi realized she was no longer a girl. He hadn't seen her in months although as a chuunin training for jounin, she was supposed to consult her mentor on a regular basis. Gradual changes are often overlooked while seeing someone on a regular basis. After a more prolonged period, he now noticed that she had long lost the awkwardness of youth and her body had developed enticing curves. But Kakashi shook himself out of these thoughts and concentrated on obeying her orders.

"He hasn't lost too much blood, how long ago did this happen?" she asked in her professional voice.

"It took less than 5 minutes to get here."

"Looks like you know your first aid. I just need to re-enforce the seals."

Rikako performed a seal to stop the blood flow and to place the body in stasis. She placed her palms near the body, not quite touching, but almost, channeling her chakra to scan the body for injuries. From the chakra vibrations, she could form a mental image of his injuries, much like a sonogram . "He has a few broken ribs, a punctured lung, internal bleeding, a dislocated shoulder, a cracked pelvis, and multiple lacerations." She listed his injuries calmly but her brow was furrowed with concern. "I'll need you to help with the cellular regeneration of the lung."

Kakashi nodded mutely. Despite his 1000 jutsus, he was not an expert shinobi medic. He could apply field medicine, seal cursed seals, quite a number of minor operations, but in this case, all he could do was follow her lead to repair the torn body.

-…-…-…-…-…-

Nearly an hour later she sighed in relief. "He should be okay now. Let him rest for a while. I'll contact the academy medics to pick him up. Here are some forms to fill out. Do you want to wait till they get here?"

"Yes, thank you." Kakashi felt he needed a rest as well.

She directed him to the waiting room. "Just wait in there. I'll be with you in a minute. I need to clean up. I must look like a complete mess right now," she laughed at the thought. There was blood all over her, even on her face and hair as she tried to brush her hair aside while she worked. In all the excitement, she had forgotten to pin it back.

"You've never looked more lovely Rikako-chan," Kakashi said dreamily. He hadn't meant to say that aloud, but he was tired and his defenses were down.

She turned quite red; the color of her cheeks nearly matched the bloodstains. "Thank you, but I guess you'd say that to anyone who just saved the life of your charge. You should have been paying more attention. No doubt you were reading one of those books." She turned, left the room, and sighed. She didn't mean to blame him, but she was not good with compliments; they embarrassed her and she never knew how to respond appropriately.

Kakashi sighed as well. Despite his continued nonchalance, he was hurt by her words. 'She still doesn't like me,' he thought.

-...-

After a month of training with his new genin team, Kakashi received a summons from the Hokage.

"Kakashi, I called you here because I've received a complaint," Sandaime got right to the point.

"A complaint?" Kakashi raised his eyebrow in surprise.

"Yes." Sandaime took out a scroll and unfurled it. The words were written in perfect formal penmanship. Kakashi was able to see just the first line: "To the Most Esteemed Hokage, Leader of Hidden Leaf Village"

"It says here that you've been late 80 percent of the time to your genin training sessions. Is that true?"

"Umm, probably," Kakashi nonchalantly admitted.

"Hmm, it's broken down here... 2 sessions over 4 hours late, three sessions over 2 hours late, 5 sessions over an hour late, 2 sessions half an hour late...you've only had 15 sessions so far! There's a list of all your excuses as well."

"I'm trying to teach them patience and to expect things when they're least expected," Kakashi explained a bit defensively.

"Yes, that proposed rationale is cited in this complaint as well. Let's see, here it says that 'although this is an admirable intent, it has been taken to the extreme. The time wasted and its effects on the reduction in active training and practical lessons will place these genin at a serious disadvantage when it comes time for the chuunin selection exams.' Kakashi, you really should try to be on time more often. Even I don't buy your excuses, after all, you've already been relieved of most your administrative duties and extracurricular activities," censured Sandaime.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Kakashi nodded. He was annoyed and was now ready to leave but...

"Now for the second complaint." Sandaime took a deep puff on his pipe.

"Second complaint?" Kakashi's voice went up an octave.

"Yes, it's about your...hmm, well it's actually 2 complaints in one...your 'lack of supervision while reading inappropriate and offensive materials in the presence of minors.'" The Hokage sighed. "It says that by reading such books you 'create a hostile environment against women by encouraging the hormonal proclivities of male adolescents.' I'm not sure what that means, but I have to agree, your choice of books is quite questionable!" (Actually Sandaime also had all of Jiraiya's books but he didn't read them in public.)

"May I ask who filed the complaints?" Kakashi was now thoroughly annoyed. 'Trying to stop me from reading my books…sacrilegious!'

"Well, it's actually signed by the parents of all three genin. But I suspect you already know the real answer." Sandaime rolled the scroll back.

"Otori Rikako, that wording sounds like her. She doesn't like me does she? But at least she's learning teamwork," Kakashi shrugged. 'He won't take this seriously, will he?'

"Yes, well, more likely she felt a united front would have more impact. In all my years as Hokage, I've never received an official complaint about a sensei. What did you do to piss her off? Your choice of reading material, perhaps you could place a book cover over it, if you must." Sandaime suggested in compromise.

Kakashi grudgingly agreed.

"Kakashi, I know this is only the second team you have agreed to train. I just hope you do as good a job as the previous, but remember, they all have different personalities and will have different responses to your approach."

-...-

Kakashi shrugged, nodded, and thought back to the week's events:

He had been late to their training sessions all week. At the end of the week, Rikako (he had no proof but he was sure she was the instigator) talked the boys into showing up a couple of hours late so Kakashi was the one waiting for an hour.

Takeo said his alarm clock ran out of batteries.

Kenji said his parents asked him to run an errand.

Rikako said she wasn't feeling well that morning.

Kakashi was not amused. He worked them extra hard that day with no breaks, until their chakra ran out. The 3 were on the ground trying to breathe, exhausted. Kakashi saw that Rikako still had a lot of chakra left and was just faking. He ordered her to do another round of exercises. She was furious that she had been singled out and tried hard to maintain her usual composure.

"Kakashi-sensei," she said respectfully while standing up, "I would have thought that your intention to train us as a team would preclude any preferential treatment."

Kakashi replied curtly, "Sometimes one member has to be a martyr. Today, you're it."

"I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei," she said bowing extra low, "I'm sorry you do not believe that due to the sudden onset of my female monthly cycle, I was unfortunately suffering severe abdominal pains this morning. I should have requested a note from my father to explain my condition to your satisfaction."

Her mention of the female body embarrassed him. Then something unusual, her chakra was longer a pure blue. There was an aura of green tingeing the outline and getting stronger. This was what Otori meant, he thought. Alarmed, he decided to call it a day.

'That green chakra, there was no feeling of malevolence unlike Naruto's red chakra. It seemed like normal chakra, but why was it green?' His own chakra was often white like his father's so maybe it was just a genetic trait…

-...-

"Kakashi, I usually don't interfere with the personal lives of my shinobi, but I'm afraid the way you're headed...you'll end up like Jiraiya, isolated and living vicariously through his books..."

-...-...-

Rikako returned to the waiting room where she found Kakashi reading his book. It had a plain brown paper cover, but she knew it must be Jiraiya's latest novel. 'I was right!' she thought, but she suppressed her amusement and greeted Kakashi respectfully. "Kakashi-sensei, the Anbu medics should be here within the hour. Since he's stable, there's no need for them to hurry. Meanwhile, I've brought some tea and cookies." She waited for him to drink or eat but he just thanked her and didn't make a move toward the refreshments.

The not-so-little shinobi medic had changed into a clean lab coat, but her hair was still unbound and her cheeks were still flushed from the excitement.

"Rikako-chan, you haven't been to see me about your training in months. You still plan to train for jounin don't you?" asked Kakashi while stowing away his book.

She shrugged, "I've been busy helping out here, but I've been training on my own. I did plan to make an appointment for later this week."

Kakashi scheduled her appointment for the day after tomorrow. "I hope you'll be able to show me something new."

She smiled and laughed, "Oh, I have a new move that even you can't do..."

There was a noise at the door before she could finish and she left to greet her parents. Kakashi heard her give them a summary of the boy's injuries and the surgical procedures. Then the door to the waiting room opened and the old doctor entered the room.

"Kakashi, it's been a long time," he said gruffly, then turned to his daughter. "Rikako, it's time for you to go to bed, you have an early day tomorrow."

"Yes, father. Good-night Kakashi-sensei," she bowed and quietly left the room.

Kakashi watched her lithe form as she walked away. Her father watched him watch her and frowned. "So what do you think of my daughter, Kakashi? She's quite a lovely young lady now isn't she? So how's she doing with her jounin training?"

"She could have made jounin years ago. She's smart, creative, calm under pressure. She has the right personality and all the skills," Kakashi replied seriously.

"You mean the personality and skills to be a killer? And you know what else female jounin have to do." There was a dark undertone to Otori's voice.

Kakashi sighed, "It's what she wants. Besides, she can turn down those types of missions."

"You know her. Is she the kind to turn down a challenge? How many female jounin have been able to avoid those types of assignments? Why do you think they are so highly paid and valued? Did you know a month ago she asked me about a mission she was offered? It required possibly seducing a suspected drug smuggler. Did she tell you about that?"

Kakashi shrugged, "Well, I doubt if that assignment would have gone to her. Umm, you know she's not rated highly in that area. She's too...caustic to be a believable seductress."

Otori chuckled in spite of himself, "Yes, well, I can imagine her lecturing a drug smuggler about the evils and effects of drugs on the body. But still..."

Kakashi tried to change the subject, "How have things been on the home front?"

"She still has restless nights. Rarely violent anymore. I suppose she's grown out of it," Otori said, but his speech was hesitant. "I just want to be sure that you won't say anything to her."

"I haven't. But you should. Secrets like that have ways of coming out. Maybe it will help her to know her origins."

"It's just between you, me, my wife, and the Hokage."

"The other Anbu from then, they know. Many of the villagers know as well," Kakashi insisted.

"All the other Anbu are dead. The villagers only know that she's not ours but nothing else."

"That's a start. It will come out one day," Kakashi said, thinking of Naruto.

"You'd better pray that it doesn't. You think you know her, but you don't." Otori sighed and thought to himself, 'You haven't lived with her and experienced her true powers. If she knew the truth, she would be devastated and who knows what she would do.' "Just don't press her to be a jounin and a killer like yourself. She's happy as a chuunin and as a medic…"

-…-…-…-…-…-

Author's Notes: Ok, I had to resort to a terribly embarrassing plot device, a wet T-shirt, but I needed something to get Kakashi's attention.