Chapter 50

The wedding reception concluded late that night, with Naruto and Hinata slipping away at some point in the evening. Kakashi and Mei stayed up late and slept in, enjoying their lazy morning. No summons to her office nor beckoning piles of paperwork cut the Mizukage's morning short like it would have been at home. It was times like these that Mei looked forward to retirement. Now that she was with Kakashi, retirement was even more appealing. When the pair finally got around, Kakashi had an idea for what to do with their day.

"How would you like to see Training Ground 44?" Kakashi asked at breakfast.

Mei chewed slowly. After swallowing she asked, "what's special about Training Ground 44?"

"We call it 'The Forest of Death'," Kakashi explained.

Mei raised an eyebrow. "Consider my interest piqued."

Nothing more needed to be said. Riku and Orino had gone to sightsee hours ago which left the couple by themselves for the day. They finished their breakfast and headed for the mission office.

"We need to pick up a key to one of the gates," Kakashi explained as they walked.

"One of the gates?" Mei asked.

"There are 44 gates total, all of them equally deadly." Kakashi raised his eyebrows mysteriously. Mei was not impressed. Attaching the number 44 to something might scare potential chunin, but not the Mizukage.

They soon arrived at the mission office. When they stepped inside, the reaction of the staff was immediate.

"Lady Mizukage," one of the chunin burst out, standing but then not knowing what to do with himself. He blushed. The Mizukage was even more beautiful in person.

The other chunin stood and bowed. His serious face remained blank. "What can we do for you Lady Mizukage? Kakashi?"

Kakashi felt sweet relief at not being called Lord Hatake everywhere he went. There really was no place like home. "We would like a key for Training Ground 44."

The younger chunin smiled, his nerves giving way to his frantic need to appear blasé in front of the Mizukage. "You gonna show the Mizukage The Forest of Death huh?"

The chunin that had bowed frowned at his coworker's candid attitude but said nothing. He looked through the filing cabinets to find the correct grouping of keys. He pulled the large ring out. Roughly 50 keys dangled from the circle. There was a key for each gate, plus various other keys associated with that specific training ground, such as the keys to the tower stronghold within its borders. "Did you want any gate in particular?"

At Kakashi's head shake, the chunin pulled a random gate key off of the ring, noted the number, and handed it to Kakashi.

"Time you expect to return?"

Kakashi turned to Mei, questioning. She mouthed, eight?

Kakashi nodded. Their emergency contacts wouldn't appreciate being summoned simply because Kakashi and Mei wanted to take their time, so Kakashi was fine with the late hour. It would give them plenty of time to return. Kakashi turned back to the man, "no later than eight in the afternoon."

"Primary and secondary emergency contact? Their full names please." The chunin continued, as if bored with the idea.

Mei's eyes got larger at that. It was one thing to want to know when you'd be returning from a potentially dangerous place. It was quite another to have to put down an emergency contact before going there. Still, Kakashi did not seem surprised, nor did he hesitate.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Kakashi responded. "And then Senju Tsunade."

The chunin wrote down the names. Despite his request for full names, instead of writing Senju Tsunade, he wrote Fifth Hokage. The other chunin chuckled. "Only you could list such emergency contacts so flippantly Kakashi."

The older chunin frowned but withheld his opinion. Showing his first sign of friendliness, the man said, "be back by eight or I'll be sending Naruto after you, then Lady Fifth if all three of you fail to return."

"We understand," Kakashi replied.

Mei was quiet for some time after they left the office. Kakashi kept their pace at an amble, nodding at people he knew as they walked.

Finally Mei asked, "was all of that really necessary?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Probably not. I think they were just happy I used the proper channels. Sometimes ANBU and retired ANBU just sneak into Training Ground 44 for a bit of fun." He smiled at his wife. "But I can't take that chance with an important visitor, now can I?"

Mei repressed rolling her eyes. "So tell me about this death forest," Mei encouraged as they walked.

"Well, if I remember correctly, it's circular and about 20 kilometers across. It's often used for chunin exams." Kakashi continued, "it's full of giant beasts, mostly insects."

"Really?" Mei's eyes widened. "First the Cloud has some secret animal preserve on the back of a turtle and now the Leaf has a big game forest? Is the Land of Water the only place that doesn't have random giant animals in a specific spot?"

Kakashi shrugged, as if this wasn't strange at all. "Maybe yours are in the ocean?" He continued on before Mei could protest again. "The story goes that it was one of the Leaf's first missions as a village, to round up all of the summon-sized creatures in the land and put them in the same area."

"So when your predecessors built a place to hold in dangerous creatures, they built it with 44 doors? Why?"

They had reached the fence by now and Kakashi unlocked the gate. "I think that was added later," he theorized. They stepped inside and locked the gate behind them.

Mei's eyes took in the forest. The trees were bigger and thicker than she'd ever seen. They blocked out the sun, dimming the whole area. "Wow," she said, impressed.

"No time for looking," Kakashi replied, jumping for a nearby branch.

Then Mei felt it, all of the creatures converging on their gate. She silently agreed, jumping after him.

The couple hid in the trees, slid down the moss, and chased each other through the vast forest. The damp woods were actually a perfect mixture of their two home villages. The excessive moss made Mei feel right at home while the sturdy trees were more what Kakashi was used to. The giant centipedes, tigers, and other creatures that they came into contact with, although terrifying to genin, gave the elites little to fear.

"I wonder," Kakashi spoke as they slid down a branch, bending it all the way to the ground. After a thoughtful pause he continued his thought. "I wonder if Naruto has had the courage to come back here since his first chunin exams."

Mei hummed. "Surely these great creatures would be nothing to a jinchuriki?"

"A jinchuriki in sync with his tailed beast, yes, but not Naruto, not at that age."

"And you sent your genin to the chunin exams that soon because…?"

Kakashi stared off into the green. "They were ready to see what the next stage of this life would be like. Even if they didn't pass, I wanted them to at least see it. Of course, nobody had planned for Orochimaru." Kakashi thought about Sasuke's ambition back then, of Naruto's constant need to push the envelope, of Sakura's fiery personality that turned timorous whenever her ninja duties were concerned. He'd wanted to give them a push in the right direction. Little did he know how that push would snowball, and then roll right off a cliff.

Mei sensed her husband's darkening mood. She could already imagine the accusations he was throwing at himself. "Orochimaru's actions are not your fault you know."

Kakashi's frown deepened. "Maybe at first they weren't, but I had the chance to take him down and I just…stood there. It was all I could do, standing between him and Sasuke. It wasn't nearly enough."

They both jumped into a tree to avoid the path of a large spider that was spinning a web the size of Hokage Tower. The spider didn't make chase and they quietly climbed into the canopy for some privacy.

Mei looked down and around at the forest, frowning. Then an idea budded in her mind and the more she thought about that bud, the bigger it grew. "Kakashi, what was Orochimaru to you, when you were a child?"

Kakashi blinked, pulled from his musings. He looked at his wife, thinking for a moment. "He was one of the legendary three. He wasn't as powerful as my father but he was different, frightening, even as an ally."

"When you met him that time with Sasuke, could you have defeated him?"

"No."

"Kakashi." Mei's voice clearly reflected her thoughts. She didn't believe his quick answer.

Kakashi paused, thinking it through. Then, relenting, "maybe, but he would have just resurrected himself in some way. That's what always made him so reckless in fights. I'm faster than he was, I could have gotten in a hit, maybe."

"One hit is all you need, at least that's what the bingo book used to say."

Kakashi avoided scoffing. "It wouldn't have been that simple."

"My point is," Mei interrupted her husband. "I think the reason you didn't fight Orochimaru was because your mind already defeated you. Your childhood remembrance of him made you unsure of yourself, and his killing intent did the rest of the work. It's just like Naruto and this forest." She gestured at the trees around them. "The challenge of this place is laughable compared to Naruto's current strength, and yet you believe he'd hesitate to step foot in here even now. Why?"

Kakashi saw her point and didn't bother to answer her question. Instead he said, "Orochimaru is no laughing matter."

"Maybe, but as things are today, I don't think he'd stand a chance against you."

"Well, you're clearly biased," Kakashi argued. He blinked and then squinted up. "Time to move," he said in a rush.

Brown slugs the size of bread boxes were falling from the highest branches above them. Mei darted between the slimy projectiles, batting the ones that got too close out of the way. The couple hurried down through the branches back to the ground. "What are they," she cried.

"They're the famous flying leeches of the Leaf," Kakashi replied matter-of-factly.

"Famous to whom?" Mei asked incredulously as they dodged. She punched one away that nearly landed on her head.

"Everyone?" Kakashi replied, startled by her reaction. He casually grasped each falling leech that got too close to him and threw them away.

"You Leaf ninja call these 'famous' when most of us don't even know that this training ground exists?" The leech shower followed them through the trees, the creatures drawn to the couples' warm bodies.

"Well I'm sorry that it's too small for the current size of the international chunin exams. And a team of Mist genin haven't been here to participate in one of our exams for…a long while," Kakashi finished lamely.

"'Famous' flying leeches," Mei muttered. "Where do you come up with these things?" As they pushed off of a mossy branch, Mei's foot slipped. Kakashi reached out and caught his wife, the catch putting them both into a tangled freefall.

"Hold on," Mei heard Kakashi's calm words in her ear. She tightened her hold on him.

Kakashi landed on a branch and then doubled back on their path, shooting through a gap in a tangle of branches. They had gotten away from their slimy friends and Kakashi set his wife down.

"Are you alright?"

Mei nodded, blushing at being carried. She'd liked Kakashi carrying her far more than she thought she would, probably more than she should. Her rosy cheeks darkened in embarrassment.

Kakashi had never really carried Mei anywhere before. There had been times that he had, like when she got food poisoning on their honeymoon, but that didn't really count. That time it had been out of necessity. She hadn't really needed his help just now, but he'd picked her up and carried her away from the trouble anyway. It was strangely exhilarating. She giggled at her own reaction. Since she was old enough to do so, Mei had always taken care of herself. Despite Mei's independent habits, Kakashi carrying her had floored her in the best possible way. She giggled again but stifled the sound. Kakashi stared at her.

"Are you alright?" Kakashi repeated. He noted her red face and strange expression.

"No," Mei lied, throwing her arms around his shoulders. She hid her grinning face in his vest. "I don't think I can walk."

Kakashi looked down at his wife curiously. She was standing on her own just fine but was hiding her face from him. He thought he heard a giggle escape Mei but was uncertain.

"Okay, we should head back then." Kakashi scooped Mei up and she buried her face in his shoulder. Mei clung tightly to her husband, curled up with the top of her head pressed into his neck. Kakashi smiled at her and tightened his hold. "Hang on."

They flew down to the ground and back to their gate. Mei became less embarrassed and more relaxed as they went. Her tight hold on her husband became more of a snuggle than a clasp. When her face was visible again, Kakashi smiled at seeing his wife's serene grin.

Once they were back outside the training ground and in the meadow, Kakashi carefully set Mei down. "Can you walk?" He asked, suspicious of his wife's quick recovery. Mei was standing up straight before he'd even finished the question.

Mei's blush reemerged. "Yes I'm fine, thank you."

Kakashi cocked his head at his wife. He smiled at her, he couldn't help it, she was so beautiful. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Mei looked around and her eyes fell on a tree a little further away from the gated training ground they'd just left. "Maybe I should lay down." The Mizukage wasn't against a nap and it was a sunny afternoon. Her face felt hot and she wanted time to let it cool before they returned to the village.

Kakashi just smiled, playing the fool. He led Mei away from the fence to sit under the shady tree. It was a nice little oasis in the otherwise sunny meadow, a stark contrast to the foreboding forest just a training ground over. Despite her protests, Kakashi insisted on checking Mei's ankle.

Once her feet were free of her sandals, Mei enjoyed rubbing her hardened soles into the cool grass. Kakashi leaned back, resting against the tree and Mei laid down, her head on Kakashi's thigh. He pulled her hair aside so it rested over her shoulder.

Mei hummed at him and was disinclined to move ever again. "Can I take a nap?" Mei asked. It had been a long night and an energizing few hours. However, now it was midday and the sun was warm.

This is nice, Mei thought, that we can just relax here without being bothered. It was something she'd never be able to do in her own village. Someone could walk by, see them sitting intimately like this. Knowing Mei's luck, it would probably be a council member who would be scandalized by their open affection. She snorted out a laugh at the idea.

Kakashi watched Mei stretch out and smiled at her content face. "Yes you can."

Mei snuggled in, legs curled up, arms wrapped around Kakashi's leg like it was a pillow. Kakashi settled further back against the tree, a hand idly drawing circles on his wife's bare back. He might have been embarrassed to be found in this position, or at least, embarrassed for Mei, but he didn't suspect anyone else would drop by that area of the training grounds. It was a beautiful day to train, but also a beautiful day to take a nap. Who said they couldn't do both?

Kakashi sighed. This trip was so relaxed compared to the last time they'd been in the Leaf. If only all trips with Mei could be this easy, he thought.

000000

"Lady Tsunade, you asked to see me?" Kakashi entered the office, wary of the conversation that was about to take place. He'd wanted to speak with the Hokage again before he and Mei departed. Much to Kakashi's surprise, Tsunade beat him to the punch the day before they left. What was more, she had formally summoned him.

The Hokage stood from her desk when Kakashi entered. For all her smooth skin, full figure, and neat hair, Tsunade couldn't hide the ancient look in her eyes. Everything in Kakashi cried out that something was wrong, but he couldn't let that feeling cloud his judgement. He kept his face neutral, holding his fears at bay until he heard what the Hokage had to say. He didn't have to wait long.

"I'll get right to the point brat," Tsunade said. "There's no easy way to tell you this but, I'm dying."

Kakashi fought back the urge to react in any way. Instead of speaking the hundreds of thoughts that rose in his mind, Kakashi asked, "how do you know?"

Tsunade chuckled darkly. "Self-diagnosis. I've used Creation Rebirth too many times. I knew my life would be shortened every time I used it but now that I'm," she hesitated and forced herself to say, "getting older, I'm weakening at a breakneck pace. I can stay alive but not in a…Hokage-capable state." She sat down heavily. "It's partially my fault. I sent Shizune away on a long term diplomatic mission and then Sakura moved to the Stone. No one else can know, so I can't have any of the regular medics administer to me."

"Sakura's here now," Kakashi pointed out.

"In the Tsuchikage's stead," Tsunade countered. "I can't share this knowledge with Sakura and then let her return to the Stone. It's too much of a burden."

"More of a burden than having you die while she's away?" Kakashi shot back, setting aside propriety. Something about seeing Tsunade lose her will like this shook Kakashi up. He hadn't known her well when she'd left the village all those years ago, but he knew her now. She couldn't just give up. There had to be a solution. Her defeatist behavior was unacceptable.

"If Sakura finds out, she'll insist on staying longer," Tsunade argued. "The Tsuchikage will ask questions."

"A Leaf ambassador can come and go as she pleases," Kakashi countered.

Tsunade's expression hardened. "But eventually she will have to return to the Stone, and answer for her delay. I can't lay that on Sakura."

"She can handle it," Kakashi replied, steel edging his words.

Tsunade's lips became tight. Despite agreeing with Kakashi, she wasn't changing her position.

Kakashi let that sit and changed the subject. He asked, "does Naruto know?"

Tsunade shook her head. Kakashi felt something heavy, cold, and dark sink into his insides. This scene, in this office, was starting to feel familiar in the most uncomfortable way. Admitting that their life is coming to an end is something a Hokage would share with their successor. Kakashi seemed to be the only one who had been told.

The last Hatake tried not to sound desperate when he asked, "is Naruto ready?"

Tsunade sighed. "Maybe." She met Kakashi's eyes. "Do you know how hard it would be for him and Hinata to start a family while he's a new Hokage? They may never get the chance to have children if he takes the hat now."

Kakashi knew what she wasn't saying. Still, he didn't want to hear it. A few more words were said but nothing that assuaged Kakashi's fears. Minato's line coming to an end, because Kakashi was selfish, that was what Tsunade wasn't saying.

The Hokage agreed to Kakashi's request for some air. He left the office in a daze. The last Hatake wandered the streets aimlessly at first. He knew what Tsunade was asking of him, even if she never spoke the words. She wanted him to come back to the Leaf and become Hokage. It was one thing to ask Kakashi to do this for the sake of the Leaf, which would have been pressure enough, but the clincher was that it was mostly for Naruto's specific benefit. Tsunade had his heart in her hands and knew it. How quickly the tides had turned on him again, Kakashi thought.

If he accepted the position of Hokage, he and Mei could remain married, Kakashi reasoned. It wouldn't be so bad. They could visit each other. Chojuro was nearly ready to take over, maybe in as little as two or three years. Maybe once Mei was retired, she could move to the Leaf and support him as Hokage the way he'd supported her. But no, that wasn't fair to her. The Mist would still need Mei even after Chojuro took over.

Kakashi almost growled aloud in frustration. He couldn't seek out a neutral party for advice because he couldn't think of anyone he knew who was a neutral party in this situation. Anyone that even remotely fit that description could not be told of Tsunade's illness. He rubbed his face.

As much as he wanted to talk to Mei about this situation, she was probably the last person he should ask. She wouldn't want to give up their life any more than he did. Sakura and Naruto were easy choices but Naruto was on his honeymoon and Sakura was leaving town soon. If Kakashi left the Leaf, he'd be turning his Hokage down. She hadn't asked him outright but she could turn the informal request into an order. So easily, everything would change. The image of Mei, Riku, and Orino leaving the Leaf without him made his chest hurt.

Sakura, Kakashi decided, he needed to catch Sakura before she left town. Naruto would be ideal as well but Kakashi wouldn't dream of interrupting the happy couple the day after their wedding. They deserved some alone time after the hustle and stress leading up to the day.

When Kakashi got to Sakura's room she was folding up her kimono. She brightened at seeing him. "Hey sensei."

"Can you come with me and visit the Hokage?"

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed. Kakashi didn't normally waste time with his visits but even this seemed abrupt. "Now?"

Kakashi nodded. He held the door open for her.

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed in silent question. She laid the kimono down slowly. "What is this about?"

Kakashi just shook his head minutely and gave the signal to teleport. Sakura frowned but still acknowledged the suggestion. She shadowed him all the way to Hokage Tower.

When the pair entered the Hokage's office, Tsunade scowled. The air stilled as the three faced each other.

"What is this about?" Sakura asked again, growing uneasy at Kakashi and Tsunade's exchange of glares.

"I wanted a second opinion," Kakashi said, not turning to Sakura but instead keeping his eyes on the Hokage.

"This doesn't concern you Sakura," Tsunade ground out, letting her anger manifest in her voice. "You may go." She, too, didn't look at Sakura but kept her eyes on Kakashi.

"She isn't a child," Kakashi insisted. He gestured at Sakura. "Tell her, or I will."

The air stiffened but Kakashi held his ground. Tsunade heaved a sigh. The worse things had gotten, the more she had hidden behind falsities. It had seemed like the safer option at the time. "I'm dying, Sakura."

Sakura's expressive eyes rounded but only for a moment. She stepped forward and Tsunade wordlessly allowed the examination. They spoke together in low voices while Sakura worked.

Kakashi nervously stood in the background. This wasn't about him, he kept telling himself, this was about Tsunade, and Naruto, and Hinata. This was about the stability of the Leaf. His mind churned even while his eyes remained on the kunoichi before him.

If the Mizukage's husband became Hokage, Kakashi wasn't sure how that would go over politically, not just with their world at large but with Mei's jonin and his colleagues. The Leaf and Sand already had a close bond between the Kazekage and the future Hokage. If the Leaf forged such a strong bond with the Mist as well, Cloud and Stone would feel threatened. They'd be fools not to.

Although Kakashi trusted Darui to keep a level head, that didn't mean Kurotsuchi would. The new Tsuchikage might feel pressured to react strongly to such an obvious international alliance. Lightning and Earth were too intertwined trade-wise for Darui to ignore Kurotsuchi's protestations. Besides that, the feudal lords were already arguing about international ninja status. With changes in the worldwide power market hiding in the wings, this rotation of leadership might start a cold war between the hidden villages.

Kakashi closed his eyes and stilled his mind. There had to be a solution to all of this. If he became Hokage, it would cause endless trouble for Mei. She could not afford to side with the Leaf Village that strongly. Marriage to a Leaf jonin caused problems enough in the Mist. Marriage to the Hokage, that was at a completely different level. If they got divorced… Kakashi shoved that idea away and moved on. There had to be something else, some other option.

If Kakashi didn't become Hokage then all the instability he was worried about could still happen, just with Naruto as a young Hokage. His student was a world icon but would people trust him to run a village? There was a big difference between a hero who swooped in to save the day and a leader who had the steady strength and wisdom that put people at ease.

How would Naruto handle the international politics the position demanded? Naruto had no lack of powerful connections across the lands, befriending nearly every person, of high or low station, on any mission. Still, Naruto lacked the experience to manage those connections properly. Political partnerships were different than friendships. Gaara had a handle on his people and wouldn't let anyone take advantage of Naruto. However, other rulers may not be so kind or discerning. Naruto giving out favors in friendship could bleed the Leaf's resources dry. Mei and Gaara could help him, but would that be enough? Was it fair for Kakashi to put the Leaf and the Land of Fire in that position for his own comfort?

Kakashi sighed. And there was still the issue of himself being Hokage. Even if he did take the position, he felt he lacked the ability to do the job. He had plenty of administration and leadership skills to build off of, but his reign could still cause the same sort of problems he feared Naruto's would. His personal strength was his main consideration. Before the last war, Kakashi could believe he was maybe powerful enough to protect and lead the Leaf. However, after seeing the titans of that war: Naruto and Sasuke fighting Madara, the previous Hokage fighting with their colossal jutsu, Kakashi felt his confidence wash away like cheap dye.

What use is stealth when there are enemies that can literally crush the village I swore to protect? Kakashi sighed. My father would have been strong enough, he mused dismally. Minato-sensei used to say that the Legendary Sannin paled in comparison to the White Fang in his prime. What am I to that?

"Kakashi," Tsunade broke into his thoughts. "Naruto needs you to be there for him."

Sakura's eyes widened and then narrowed as she finished her examination. "It's not all that bad my lady." Her eyes shifted to Kakashi nervously, her mind putting together what the Hokage wasn't saying. "You'll live a good many years yet."

"My strength is diminishing every day," Tsunade snapped back. "I wouldn't have mentioned this at all if I didn't think it was necessary. The Leaf is in danger the longer I remain Hokage. Not only am I becoming weaker, but if for any reason I need to use of my Creation Rebirth technique again, it could kill me outright."

The room was silent. Sakura did not respond to her master's points, which made Kakashi's heart sink. It was bad then. "I need to think about this," Kakashi finally said.

"Don't think too long," Tsunade replied, her voice tinged with warning. Sakura was actually startled by Tsunade's tone.

Green eyes swiveled from her master to her sensei. "Kakashi-sensei, why don't you go for a walk while Lady Tsunade and I talk?"

Tsunade scowled at Sakura but did not object. Kakashi slipped out of the room. Pocketing his hands, Kakashi once again wandered the streets of the Leaf.

The same points made rounds in Kakashi's head. The best choice was for him to move back to the Leaf and become Hokage. However, personal doubt and rebellion rose in his breast. It wasn't just that he didn't want to leave Mei, he didn't want to leave Mei and then immediately fail the Leaf. He was not the best choice for Hokage and yet, he was the only choice. Never had he wanted to talk to Mei about something more, but it was impossible.

Kakashi's mind started to go down the track of having to explain to his wife that he was leaving her. They could still remain married of course but he would still be leaving her. He'd be doing the one thing he promised never to do to her. That was a base concern, it went deeper than politics, deeper than her village or his, this was something he, as a person, had promised her, as his spouse. How could he do that to her? And yet, if he refused and Naruto became Hokage, Kakashi would be asking Naruto to make the same choice with Hinata. She would take the disappointment graciously. Hinata had known she'd be the Hokage's wife, and the lonesomeness that would come with that position, but no one had dreamed that she'd be forced into that role so soon.

Kakashi crisscrossed the various village districts. He took paths through public gardens without noticing the flowers around him. A few people even stopped to speak with him. He did his best, but they could tell he was distracted and wrapped up the conversation quickly. He traveled on, shoulders slouched, until he found himself traversing the stones that made up Minato's mountain head.

The last Hatake sat among those familiar stones. He remembered how surreal it had felt when his sensei had become Hokage. It was as if everything had been turned sideways. It was like losing a limb. Minato had still acted as if their relationship was the same, but things had changed in that all-encompassing way. Minato-sensei had always made time for him, Kakashi knew, but there had been so many more pressing issues that required the Hokage's attention. Kakashi had ended up distancing himself from his old sensei to try to make the man's life easier. And then one day, a day that started like any other, Minato-sensei was gone forever.

Kakashi looked out at the village. How could he refuse Tsunade? He thought of Mei, who was probably wondering when he'd get back. How could he accept? Cool evening wind brushed his hair. His eyes narrowed to resist the drying breeze.

Kakashi shook his head. This wasn't where he needed to be right now. As much as he appreciated the time that Sakura had bought him, he needed to get back. He should be in Tsunade's office, facing her, not running from his responsibilities.

Kakashi stood up and headed back down the mountain at his swiftest pace. Darting across the rooftops of the village, he felt Sakura pulse her chakra at him. He would have completely missed her, so focused was he on returning. He stopped and turned, joining her on the academy roof.

"I was just coming to get you," Sakura explained. She jerked her head to the right. "How's your apartment?"

Kakashi frowned, pulling his mind back from the depths it had sunken into. He focused on Sakura and what she was asking him. She wanted to speak with him in a secure place. Kakashi nodded, answering her question. They took off again.

Once they were inside Kakashi's old jonin apartment, Sakura wasted no time.

"I talked to Lady Tsunade. She mentioned you'd be back in a few weeks to put in the power station here?"

Kakashi nodded, not meeting Sakura's eyes.

Sakura took his distance in stride. Her sensei was always one to keep his own problems to himself. She wasn't going to let him do that, not this time, but that didn't mean she was insensitive to his coping methods. "She'll want an answer when you return, one way or another. Meanwhile, I'll stay here and monitor her condition. Lady Tsuchikage will understand if I want to stay for a few extra weeks. She knows I haven't been home for a long time; I don't think she'll look too far into it."

"What about Hikaru?" Kakashi asked, his voice dead.

Sakura looked hard at her old sensei, realizing that, for once in her life, Kakashi had revealed to her what he was really thinking about. She wasn't sure if that excited or frightened her, that she'd caught it or that he'd let it slip in the first place. By immediately asking about Hikaru, Kakashi revealed that he couldn't get his own spouse out of his mind.

Sakura took a long breath, mind made up. She smiled softly. "He'll understand too. It's only a few weeks. I'll be back before they know it."

Kakashi nodded absently. He looked out the window at the moon's position in the sky. "I have to go," he said in the same, quiet voice. "Mei will be waiting up."

How can he be so calm? Sakura wondered. But then she realized he wasn't calm, not at all. This was close to the same voice he'd used when he told them that he was moving to the Mist to marry the Mizukage. It was steady, calm, and reassuring. Realization dawned on Sakura. How many times had he used that tone of voice when they were genin? To assuage Sakura's fears when she was about to panic? How many times had she heard that tone and accepted, sensei will fix it, as absolute truth? Even during the war she'd fallen for it! Sakura frowned at herself. Her resolve strengthened. On the outside, all she said was, "goodnight sensei."

Kakashi hurried to where he and Mei were staying but once he was there, he stared at the door. What was he going to say?

Then the door was open and Mei stood there before him. Her hair and dress swished from her sudden movement. She looked him up and down. "Are you alright? You've been gone all afternoon and evening. I didn't want to go looking for you beca-"

Kakashi cut her off with a kiss.

Despite her appreciation for the affection, Mei was instantly worried. Kakashi wasn't acting like himself. She pulled away from his embrace and scanned his face. The carefree look he'd worn when they emerged from the Forest of Death seemed like a lifetime ago. "What's wrong?"

The word "nothing" was on the tip of his tongue, but Kakashi couldn't bring himself to lie. Instead he said, "something that involves the Leaf. I'm sorry but I can't tell you."

Mei didn't mask her disappointment but said, "I understand." It was most likely a problem with the power plant and Mist/Leaf politics, Mei thought. It made sense that he couldn't tell her. Still, something about the look in his eyes made her heart ache. Whatever it was, it was really bothering him. Maybe something to do with his students? Either way, Mei tried to shrug off her feeling of unease. There was nothing she could do about it. So she smiled and said, "come to bed with me?"

Kakashi took her hand but could not return the smile.

Author's Notes:
1. Thank you for all of your reviews and encouragement. I also appreciate the favorites, follows, and views.

2. Despite how canon likes to make it out to be, Creation Rebirth is not a Get Out of Death for Free card. Creation Rebirth speeds up the splitting of cells to heal the user instantly. Cells can only be split so many times before they start to break down and thus, Creation Rebirth shortens a person's natural lifespan. We don't know how many times Tsunade has used Creation Rebirth, but we do see at the end of the manga that Tsunade is making herself look even younger than before. My theory is that she's overcompensating because of the effects of Creation Rebirth.

3. Back to the Forest of Death (which I've decided survived Pain's assault, good thought MarshmallowRabbit), one of the things that stuck out to me when re-reading the manga was "the famous flying leeches of Konoha" which are literally never mentioned again. Why are they famous? Are they really famous if no one else knows about them outside of the Leaf? I thought I'd poke some fun at them while our couple frolicked in Training Ground 44.

4. Guess what? It's gonna be May! Remember how that KakaMei event on Tumblr seemed really far away the first time I mentioned it? Well the event, which is May 5th and 6th, is right around the corner. Are you ready for it?

5. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. See you next time!