35.
Inari did not ask Kakashi why he'd hung around her all day. Kakashi was not someone you weaned answers from; he either told you (rather bluntly and unapologetically) or he did not and there was not much you could honestly do about either situation. She was still internally digging for answers as to why he'd sat with her, Shinji and Guy in the meadow reading through his book while Inari continued to simultaneously count Guy's push-ups and listen to Shinji. She glanced across at Kakashi as he strolled beside her, hands stuffed in pockets and that distinctive easy-going slump to his shoulders. It wasn't unusual by any means for them to spend time together, Kakashi often managed to manipulate her into buying him dinner and he often lounged around in her apartment gaining some strange sense of satisfaction from teasing her and/or lazily watching her create monstrosities in the kitchen. Inari had called on his company many times when she wished to visit the head of the Hokage Monument in those late evenings because something unidentifiable about Kakashi's presence put her at a state of ease. So his behaviour wasn't unlike him entirely just…off.
She decided to test her theory as she veered from the path they'd been walking in comfortable silence towards the Baths. Kakashi followed instead of continuing on towards his apartment.
A small smile played across Inari's lips. She called round for Kurenai (who also threw a suspicious glance at Kakashi) before strolling along towards the oh-so-familiar welcome frame of the Village Hidden in the Leaves' biggest bathhouse.
"Welcome Inari-chan," the greeters chimed and both Kakashi and Kurenai didn't seem surprised in the least that she was on such a familiar basis with all the staff. If Inari did not visit the bathhouse in the space of two weeks it was likely that she was dead, although even dead the staff wouldn't be too surprised (horrified of course but not surprised) to find Inari's corpse smiling blissfully in one of the heated pools of water.
Kakashi very nearly followed Inari and Kurenai into the women's changing room but a firm glare from Inari's best friend sent him drawling an apology and ambling into the room opposite.
"What's going on?" Kurenai asked immediately as the door closed behind them and both young women set about slipping out of their clothes.
Inari eyed the corners of the changing room then whispered, "shhh I'm sure he's still watching or listening at least."
Kurenai's expression changed to one that suggested she thought her small friend was clearly losing it but then mirrored Inari's wary glances when she realistically considered the possibility of Kakashi bugging the changing rooms. And so began the silent telepathy conversation between Inari and Kurenai. This was only capable between Inari, Kurenai and Asuma and had come in handy on more than several occasions. It consisted of the careful reading of the other's expressions, gestures that had been coded to translate as words and various eye movements. Eventually Kurenai and Inari smiled as an understanding passed between the two.
Kurenai and Inari managed to effectively conceal their Jutsus and when Kurenai stepped out into the baths in the form of Inari using Henge her clone who still retained her original appearance followed. Inari slunk along the rafters, shrouding herself in shadow as any good ninja would do. She'd had to relinquish Kagami since it never (ever she still bathed and showered with it in reaching distance much to Kurenai's confusion) left her presence and Kurenai was currently masquerading as her. 'No,' Inari corrected, 'Kurenai was her now'. Inari's uneasiness about the loss of Kagami's presence was soon preoccupied with a mixture of not only fascination that Kurenai could act as her so well but also fondness that her acting skills stemmed from a real true understanding of her.
'Am I really that quiet?' Inari mused, her brows creasing slightly, 'and do I always have that peaceful look on my face.'
It was more than slightly disconcerting seeing her doppelganger if not a little intriguing. Kurenai Inari, Kurenai's clone and Kakashi all dressed in bathing suits relaxed in the private Bath. Inari at present was meant to be using the opportunity to escape Kakashi's surveillance but she found she was much more interested in watching the scene play out.
It was twenty minutes in that Inari realised Kakashi was sneaking peeks down the front of her (well Kurenai disguised as her) black bikini, and he was being awfully crafty about it. Inari's face heated and she felt her cheeks turn that horribly noticeable red. It was easy to make the assumption that Inari was as cool as Kurenai was about such things; she was steadily confident of her skills in combat, although quiet she was by no means shy and she had been recognised as Kota Hikaru's protégée and a well-respected Jounin. So spending much of her life under the wing of a well-known and shameless womaniser you'd think she would be secure in this aspect also but it seemed Inari shared a more likeminded approach with her sensei's grumpy and stoic older brother, Hatsuto, in this respect. She was so easily embarrassed in situations such as these which was (in Inari's view) beyond frustrating because she should retaliate decisively instead of turning pink and finding that her skin suddenly seemed far too big for her body. But Kurenai of course acted on impulse and immediately gave Kakashi a glare that even made the still blushing Inari hidden in the rafters shiver. Kakashi didn't so much as blink (or apologise for his peeping) but Inari knew that he was fully aware now that the Inari he was lounging beside was not the same Inari he'd teased this morning.
Inari decided to beat a hasty retreat while she could and using every stealthy skill she knew she smuggled herself away from the Bath house. She was ten minutes out and darting from rooftop to rooftop when she noticed the familiar tuft of grey on the now pursing shadow.
"Inari –chan," Kakashi called, speeding his pace in an attempt to match her own. Inari could immediately tell that Kakashi was not best pleased with her disappearing act just by the tone of his voice. He did not shout, he did not scream it just became eerily polite and clear without its usual slight lazy drawl. Over the months (nearly a year now she realised) Inari had only ever seen Kakashi use his very serious, very terrifyingly intense voice and expression a grand total of three times and each had garnished the desired effect. Inari now felt that same sinking feeling others had described as to how they felt when she really lost her temper and it followed along the lines of 'oh shit'.
"Inari-chan, stop," Kakashi ordered evenly.
"If I stop you'll kill me," Inari called back. She thanked the Gods that she was ranked as one of the fastest shinobi in the entirety of Konoha. She picked up speed and Kakashi pursued, they became mere blurs passing along the tiles, beams and tables of ivy along the roofs of Konoha.
"I won't kill you Inari-chan I have nowhere to hide the body," Inari could almost feel Kakashi's pleasant smile and shivered.
"Surprisingly that doesn't instil me with confidence," Inari whispered. It was cut short as Kakashi's clone reared up from the alleyway she had been preparing to leap over and Inari was forced to swerve into lower ground to avoid capture. That was the initial plan but was unfairly thwarted as Kakashi materialised from the wood of the wall behind her and gripped her arms. Inari knew over forty-five ways to break that rudimentary hold but when she realised it was just that, rudimentary with no intent to physically harm her, she relaxed and decided she needed to face Kakashi who was suddenly furious with her for some unknown reason. The man in question leaps gracefully down from the rooftop and as soon as his feet hit the floor glared at her through both eyes. Inari stares calmly back at him.
"Why did you run off?" Kakashi questions in that same flat, serious tone that Inari suspects is especially useful in integration.
"Why are you so angry?" Inari replies calmly.
"Why don't you trust me? I'm trying to look out for your best interests so why don't you trust me to?"
Inari's eyebrows furrow in confusion but she does not say a thing, as always every word is clear from her expression. Kakashi sighs and Inari watches as the serious frustrated side of Kakashi closes away from view and the idle nonchalant one takes stage front again.
"I've worked up an appetite," Kakashi grins at Inari pointedly but she doesn't chuckle to herself or smile softly she's still watching carefully. She's always known there's a lot more to Hatake Kakashi than what is glimpsed at the surface, she's always known that whatever ties and wires inside that genius mind of his are beyond difficult to understand and she's always known that Kakashi himself, his soul, is so very, very complex.
But Inari doesn't like the way Kakashi just sealed up in that manner. Inari's slightly lost expression turns into one of mild irritation and Kakashi just watches her through half-lidded eyes. She does not like it at all. She's never asked anything from Kakashi and he in return has never asked anything from her. That's how their friendship has always worked. She trusts him, of course she does but how can he ask her to allow his help when he restricts her from offering any help to him. 'Emi never told me something was wrong until it was too late, Hikaru-sensei never told me what he was doing until it was too late and now Kakashi. I won't let it become too late. Why won't they let me carry them?' Inari says nothing though only follows Kakashi as they meet up again with Kurenai.
...
Inari's feeling vastly more stable when Kurenai hands Kagami back over to her. Three cups in and Inari's feeling unstable again except this time it's because her feet and hands seem to be complying to their own wishes, her brain has become a happy, fuzzy ball and she can't seem to stop moving languidly in her seat as she tries to dance while in the effect of the other two. She doesn't even like dancing ordinarily but it seems that whenever that kicking liquid makes it way down her throat her body automatically decides that 'now is the time to dance!' without even an affirmative from Inari's admittedly now sloshy mind. She smiles goofily at Shinji who's already five cups down.
"What're you looking at?" Shinji growls.
Kurenai (who's managed to consume two bottles in the space of Inari's three cups) giggles and poor Kakashi is trying to read his book in peace through Shinji's attempts to rip it violently from his hands. Hyuga Shinji always seems to experience a complete reverse when he's been drinking; he becomes bad-tempered, loud, combative and foul-mouthed. All in all he's a bad drunk. But it's always amusing watching him try to lay into guys twice his size and weight while screaming about their mothers participating in numerous explicit activities with him.
"Listen to me you little *******, everyone thinks you're so ****ing amazing well? Yeah! I thought not!" Shinji wobbles as he tries to glare at Kakashi but considering he's still so baby-faced it's anything but intimidating.
Kakashi stares blandly at him as Shinji mumbles into his glass, "that's what I ****ing thought, pussy."
Kakashi switches his gaze from Shinji to Kurenai in some hope of help but the young woman when inebriated finds everything so wonderfully funny that any glimmer of aid is dashed. Kakashi looks back at the bottle of Sake and his own untouched cup.
He shrugs, if you can't beat them join them.
The group depart the bar many hours later on shaky legs. Kurenai is still hanging off Inari while the red head continues to dance in alarmingly out-dated dance moves, her face completely serious as she does so. Shinji and Kakashi are in front of them, Shinji poking a finger into Kakashi's chest repeatedly while trying to slur out insults that mostly just sound like 'ffffffuuuuuwaaaawww ewwwww'. The Great Copy Nin himself is far more sober than his companions and currently the only one trying to herd them home despite Shinji's best efforts to goad him into a fight.
"You, you, you…" Shinji begins, face screwed up in an ugly grimace and his tongue rolling heavily around the words.
"You, you, you," Kurenai mimics and laughs loudly which only causes Inari to try and dance to the tune of her laughter and Kakashi sighs.
"No, you!" Shinji yells and jabs a finger at Kurenai.
Kurenai just giggles and slips onto her backside dragging Inari down with her.
"I'll, I'll show everyone one of you," Shinji declares then grips Kakashi's shirt in one balled fist. Kakashi lazily looks down at his hand and back up into Shinji's face with an lifted eyebrow and an expression that clearly says 'seriously?'
"Piggy, piggyback race now!" Shinji roars but it just makes Kurenai (who's still a fallen mess of tipsy hands and legs with a still dancing Inari on the floor) laugh even harder.
"Get on bitch!" Shinji wobbly makes his way over to Kurenai and offers her his back, Kakashi makes the same movement towards Inari and it's a good ten minutes of drunken shinobi trying to help up drunken shinobi before all four are on their feet (admittedly swaying dangerously but up at least).
Kurenai clambers onto Shinji's back while Kakashi tries to take great care in helping the still bopping Inari onto his own, he's certain that an intoxicated Shinji carrying an intoxicated Kurenai home is not the best idea but in their current state they're likely to leave Inari here and just looking at her, dancing about in the street is enough to know she isn't going capable of making it home on her own. Kakashi sighs and asks a Chunin who is watching the display with an amused expression if he can make sure Shinji and Kurenai make it back to Kurenai's house in one piece; the Chunin nods and Kakashi lists directions. As soon as Kurenai is up both she and Shinji lean forward and promptly crash back onto the floor.
Kakashi settles Inari's weight in the centre of his back 'she's light, surprisingly so' but is almost overbalanced as Inari reaches forward and repeatedly pats his head. She's chuckling to herself as she pats his hair beyond amused that it keeps bouncing back into its original spikey volume seconds after being flattened. Minutes later and the fumbling noise of Shinji and Kurenai are left behind as they're carefully shepherded away by the Chunin; it is only now in the relative peace that Kakashi can hear Inari humming sleepily to herself against the shell of his ear.
He recognises that song; he had heard Rin humming the same tune after training on so many occasions. It's sweet and soft and something about it tugs veraciously at his chest, just like the memories associated with it. Hatake Kakashi carries his childhood friend through the now empty streets of Konoha, the moonlight skimming over the rooftops and her song whispering away in his ear. A strange sense of peace comes across Kakashi and something soft about it, about this scene makes his chest swell with an emotion he does not recognise. The streets are quiet except for her voice and the sounds of crickets; it's warm and delicate in Kakashi's hands. Inari's pats become gentler and weaker with sleep and Kakashi realises he too is yawning by the time they manage to make it to the apartment building.
He has great trouble trying to find his keys and keep Inari from slipping but without a word Inari leans forward and digs her hand into his pocket for him. Kakashi's eyes widen and he sucks in breath. He tries to focus on the small indents on the wall where the bristles of a paint brush has left its mark rather than the feeling of Inari's slim fingers gently probing into his pocket, brushing against...'one kunai, two kunai, three kunai, four kunai'. Kakashi releases the breath he didn't know he'd been holding when Inari pulls free his keys and plops them into his open palm, he feels the lift of her sleepy smile against the material covering his neck and the bloom of her warm breath easing in and out like waves on a shore against the sensitive skin. Hatake Kakashi's hand grip tighter around the crook of her leg and his brain desperately begins counting kunai again.
Inari is still latched onto his back when he stumbles inside, haphazardly kicking the door closed behind him. He's suddenly exhausted and the calm of the moonlight is pulling him under. Through sheer luck they make it to the bedroom without one, the other or both tipping sideways, forwards, or backwards onto their faces. Kakashi drops himself onto the bed, face first against the bliss of warm, soft sheets. He closes his eyes as sleep reaches up to cradle him and vaguely he realises that Inari is scrambling about on his back. His limbs feel like weights as Inari hoists them into the bed, pulling off his shinobi sandals and tucking the duvet around him. 'It's nice' Kakashi thinks absently though he doesn't know why. Inari manages to pull him onto his back by giving clumsy jerks at his side and Kakashi opens his eyes to find her watching him carefully. The moon allows a glimmer of pale light's fingers across her face and her eyes are so dark and hazy, her features so soft that Kakashi isn't sure if this image is real. She looks…Kakashi's not sure how she looks but it's addictive to watch. He wants to say something but no words come to mind so instead he settles for watching the delicate line of her back and the curve of her throat as she tries to tuck him in.
"You helped me into bed, I'll help you," Inari slurs but the words seem so very far away.
She pauses as she sways dangerously close to falling off the side of the bed and reels sharply backwards. Kakashi grunts as her elbow connects with the side of his jaw and Inari is slow in her actions as she turns to face him. Her face hangs above his. Kaskashi can feel her hair tickling against her ear; he can smell the mixture of floral bath products she uses daily sneak into his nose, can see that her eyes aren't exactly almond shaped, can see the sweep of her eyelashes are two shades darker in crimson than her hair and the tiny silvery scar near one lip that was unnoticeable before that he can't seem to stop staring at.
"Kakashi-chan," Inari whispers but Kakashi is transfixed by the movement of her lips as they pull into a soft smile.
Then Inari slumps into sleep, knocking her head against Kakashi's as she does so.
a/n:
35 chapters! Jeez and I'm not even at the start of Naruto yet, will you guys still be reading if it reaches a hundred or will you get bored by then XD
Oh and I know I'm too cruel :P Poor Kakashi thought he was going to get a smooch but all he got was a headbutt. At least more Inari and Kakashi fluff right? That's a good thing huh, considering it's a Kakashi/OC fic. I've been thinking on where to end this and I think Pein's attack on Konoha is a pretty good time then I'll do about two or three ending chapters that are like five or ten years later. I think I'll update later today too because I don't usually update weekends so it only seems fair.
Thanks for reading :D