Kakashi watched in mild amusement as Shizune tried to hit the target with the kunai, only to once again miss and the kunai to fall to the ground. She growled lowly in annoyance as she reached in her pocket to pay the store owner for another round to play.

After their finishing their work for the day, she had practically dragged him out of his office to go to Konoha's night market located on one particular street in the village. There were various food stalls, souvenir stores, bazaar games and a few street performers this night and Shizune appeared to be genuinely excited and determined to visit the stalls.

With their current situation and Koyuki's reluctant confession the other day, he couldn't help but feel inexplicably stressed, worried and tired. With their valuable prisoner now dead and Tenzo's team unable to find any new leads that could point them to the whereabouts of the criminals that they were searching for, Kakashi couldn't help but feel that he is solely responsible for the ninjas that was sent out on missions only to be attacked by the group. But…

Kakashi can only smile in relief and gratitude that she thought of doing this with him. With the rogue group still out and about, she must've thought that it would be a good idea to have a night for them to relax and be carefree, even if for a few hours.

He was jostled out of his musings when Shizune suddenly cheered and he eyed the target that's now clattered on the floor.

"Finally!" she cheered and looked at him, "I finally did it, Hokage-sama! I can finally get it!"

He smiled behind his mask while he heard the store owner grumble in annoyance, "I see that. What do you want to get?"

Her eyes shone with childish glee as she answered, "The pig, of course! Mister, I want the pig!"

"Just a moment, miss," the owner muttered as he reached for the pink stuffed toy of a pig, with Shizune literally vibrating in excitement beside him. She squealed when the owner finally handed her the stuffed toy the size of her whole torso and she immediately hugged it tightly to her chest, a joyful smile on her lips. She told him that TonTon died just a few months ago due to her old age and she must've been missing the loyal companion that she had for years.

"It's so cute, Kakashi!" she whispered in awe as they started to walk away from the stall. He looked down at the pig still clutched against her chest. It does look cute, the color of the surface reminds him of TonTon herself.

"It is cute but why did you have to play that game? I know you can buy one," he commented as he nodded to a ninja, who's the roving guard assigned in the market tonight.

She looked up at him and gave him a grin, "And where's the fun in that? It's fun to play those games, Kakashi, and I enjoyed it!"

"I can remember you growling at the store owner because you can't hit the target," he teased.

She pouted, and he couldn't help but help that she looked cute that way, "The game was obviously rigged! I just had luck that I managed to take down the target on the third try. Besides, that's part of the fun of playing these games! You know what, you should play one."

He opened his mouth to retort when they heard their name called from behind them. They turned and saw Naruto and Hinata, holding hands, as they made their way to her.

"Shizune-oneechan! Kakashi-sensei!" the blond said again as he and his wife stood in front of them, "What are you two doing here? Don't tell me you're on a date?" he joked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Hinata pulled at Naruto's hand in warning, "Naruto-kun! That's not a nice thing to say - !"

"It's alright, Hinata-chan," Shizune interrupted the Hyūga princess' scolding.

"Yes, Hinata, it's alright," Kakashi reassured. He held Shizune's hand and intertwined their fingers together, "Naruto's right, anyway. We are on a date here."

The expression on their faces was priceless and looked animated. Hinata's mouth fell open in shock, her pale eyes wide open. Naruto simply looked dumbfounded. Kakashi stopped himself from laughing out loud.

Kakashi shifted his eyes to Shizune, "Let's go?" he asked, in which she simply nodded and they turned back to continue their trip, leaving behind the stunned couple.

"W-what in the hell, dattebayo?" Naruto muttered behind them.

Shizune giggled when they were out of the two's hearing, "You think they processed it yet?"

He laughed as well and shrugged, "Not sure. But have you seen their faces? They were so funny, I wished I had my camera."

She giggled, "I just thought of this now but, while we're here, more people will see us like this and ask," she said, referring to their joined hands.

Even before she said it, he can already feel the eyes of the villagers looking at them strangely. He gave her a reassuring smile, "Then we'll answer them."

Just as Shizune predicted, they ran into more of their acquaintances and friends while they were in the market.

They saw Genma and Raido while eating some takoyaki, who asked to confirm their relationship. They saw Kurenai, who was accompanied by her daughter Mirai, while Shizune was trying to convince Kakashi to play a game. They confirmed their rekindled relationship and her and Shizune chatted for a little while with the promise of a night out soon. They even encountered some more members of the Konoha 11, who all wanted to asked about them. They saw Anko eating dango by the stall when they were about to leave. Anko looked at them, glanced at their intertwined fingers and simply nodded before bringing her attention back to her dango.

"Well, that was eventful," Shizune commented as they left the hustle and bustle of the night market.

"It is," Kakashi agreed and lightly squeezed her hand, "But it's all good, right? You… enjoyed our date?" He asked uncertainly.

She grinned, "Of course I did! Look at what I got!" she said as she gestured at the bags that they both carry and the stuffed pig on her arm, "I bought so many things from there. All those games and the stalls and oh, the food! Especially the takoyaki. Though I'm still sad that you didn't play any game."

He chuckled, "I'll play one when we go back there."

She paused, "Are you asking me out for a third date?"

He shrugged, "Perhaps. What do you say?"

She grinned excitedly, the street lights illuminating her eyes and he can see the light blush across her cheeks, "I'd love to."

"But, of course, it's going to be our fourth date," Kakashi implied as he looked up at the night sky.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

He raised the bag of take-outs that they got from the market. He always considered a date to be an affair between two people wherein they're comfortable with each other, "We're having our third date on your apartment."

She giggled, "That's right."

"ETERNAL RIVAL!"

A voice behind them shouted. They both turned to see Gai, furiously pushing the wheels of his wheelchair. Walking behind him in leisurely pace was TenTen, who obviously accompanied her former sensei. The wheels screeched to a halt once he's in front of them and Gai looked up at them, his eyes shining hopefully.

"Kakashi, Shizune, I saw Kurenai in the night market," he started dramatically, "And she told me the most bizarre thing! If what she said is true, then the song of Youth had started for you once again, my rival! This is a very spectacular event to happen in -!"

"Gai," Kakashi interrupted his friend's rambling, "Are you talking about my relationship with Shizune?"

"Yes!"

"Then what Kurenai said is true. We are – whoa!" He couldn't continue what he was going to say since Gai had suddenly taken his free hand and drew him down to his level. His eyes were brimming with tears, making them shine almost animatedly.

"Words can't explain my happiness for the two of you right now! The time of Youth had definitely restarted and it's song had sung again for your relationship! Shizune, you are the very epitome of a saint and you know how to take care of him and -!" Gai cried out.

Kakashi pulled his hand away, once again cutting his rambling off, "Yeah, thank you Gai. We should go, it's late and we have early work tomorrow. Good night Gai, TenTen."

"Good night, Hokage-sama! Shizune-san!" TenTen called out as the two of them began to walk towards Shizune's place, with Gai still crying tears of happiness.

"Gai has always been supportive of you," Shizune commented and then laughed, "I remembered when we first told him that we're together. He literally gave me a list on how to take care of you."

"He did that?" he asked, slightly astounded.

She grinned at him, "Yup! It was kind of funny because I already know about half of them ever since I worked with you and the other half was…not really acceptable."

"Like what?" He queried as they neared her apartment.

"He wrote that I should ensure that you eat four cups of rice every meal, make sure that you do his workout routine of 300 push-ups, every single day, and -!"

"Okay, okay! I get it," Kakashi said with a laugh, then his smile turned nostalgic, "Gai is one of my best friends. He's one of the people who never gave up on trying to get me to socialize and open up to the world. If only I could do anything to help him walk again…"

"I'm sorry, Kakashi," his companion apologized, "When Gai opened the Eighth Gate and used it against Madara, he shattered the bones on his legs and left numerous tears on the muscles all over his body. It was way worse than Rock Lee's injuries and even Tsunade-sama couldn't use her medical ninjutsu to help him."

Kakashi blinked and put a hand on her shoulder, halting their walk, "Hey, Shizune. It's nobody's fault. Everybody knows what would happen once Gai used the Eighth Gate and, honestly, I'm just grateful that he's still here with us today," he said gently.

Shizune turned her face to look at him, her eyes shining under the moonlight, "I know. It's just… I thought I could do something to help him, too."

He gave her a reassuring smile, "We all do. And there's still hope; he's going through therapy and rehab that can help him. We can have faith in that."

She smiled, "Yes, we can. Thank you, Kakashi."

"No problem. Now, give me that pig. We're almost at your place," he said and held out his arm to accept the stuffed toy. Shizune reached for the key in her pockets and pulled it out. They walked in comfortable silence until they got to her apartment. Turning on all the lights, Shizune made her way to her kitchen.

"You can put down that bags on the living room," she instructed, "I'll make us some tea for awhile. You can wait for me in the dining table."

Kakashi raised his hand in a mock salute, "Yes, ma'am!"

After locking the door behind him and putting the bags and the stuffed pig on the couch, he removed his forehead protector, gloves and mask, putting them neatly on the center table. He removed his flak jacket, as well, draping it over her couch. He took the plastic bag of take-outs, put them down on the dining table and silently entered her kitchen.

She was watching the stove, her back facing the door. Silently, he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. She startled.

"Kakashi…?" She asked.

He smirked and looked at her, "Were you expecting someone else?"

She blushed and Kakashi delighted on the bright color that came on her face, "No! I'm just… startled, that's all."

He chuckled. He buried his face against her shoulder, nuzzling the side of her neck. They were silent for a long time, simply enjoying each other's presence and Kakashi absolutely reveled on the warmth that her body gives off. It's not a sexual thing for him; if anybody would ask him, he would say that having Shizune's body against him – safe and warm – is already an intimate gesture and held an even greater emotional and physical gratification for him.

The sound of the kettle whistling broke their moment.

Shizune tapped his arm resting around her waist and her free hand turned the stove off, "Come on, Kakashi. I'll get the tea ready."

He whined dramatically and buried his face deeper against her shoulder, "Noooo."

She laughed, "Are you being a baby right now? The famous Copy Ninja? The feared shinobi across nations? The Rokudaime Hokage?"

"I'm comfortable here, thank you very much," he retorted childishly.

"You are comfortable but how about me?"

"I'm sure you'll manage."

"Your head is heavy, Kakashi!"

"That's too low but I'll take it."

"If you're not on a chair on my count of 3, I swear…"

"What will you do, my dear assistant?"

"Three."

He let go of her and raised his hands in surrender, "Alright, alright! I'll be setting the table."

There's not much he could do but wait for her, so he took out the take-out boxes, removing the tapes and cracking their chopsticks apart. It's a really fun thing to do: bickering with her, trying to get her to blush. We sound like a married couple.

It didn't take long for her to come back with a pot of tea and cups. She sat down across from him and poured tea on the cups.

"What tea is that?" he asked as he opened his box of food.

"Chamomile, of course," she answered as she handed him a cup.

He accepted the tea and put the cup down beside his box, "Why do you like this tea so much? You always prepare a pot for me before leaving the office."

She hesitated, fiddling with her chopsticks before answering, "They help me sleep better, so I thought they'd help you too."

Kakashi blinked and then dropped his chopsticks. He's not exactly surprised that she concluded the fact that he's having trouble sleeping – she's perceptive, after all. And besides, they used to live together. Of course, she'd know about that.

"So you know about my… insomnia?" he said, unsure of himself. Insomnia is probably putting it lightly, he thought, It's more like night terrors.

"Yes," she answered, her eyes focused on her food, "And I would like to help in the little ways that I know."

He laid his hand on top of hers in an attempt to make her look up, "Thank you, Shizune. I appreciate your effort very much."

She raised her eyes to his and Kakashi was surprised to see the hopeful look in them, "But, I'll still try! I'll continue making them for you and try different methods available to help you!"

He smiled, his insides warming up at the concern and determination that she's showing. Shizune reminds him of the people that he once cared about.

She reminds him of his father's humility.

He can see Rin's compassion and determination in her actions.

Her calm demeanor in crucial times can easily be like his sensei.

They share Obito's vision for a better shinobi world.

But Shizune is a whole different person, with her own personality and abilities that's identified as her own. He knows that she has different facets and things that she enjoyed. What he wants to do is to spend the rest of his life finding out every single one of them with her.

She is one of a kind.

And I love her for it.

After eating, they settled themselves comfortably on her couch. They leaned against the opposite ends of her couch, their feet tangled and the TV droning in the background. Shizune was eating the vanilla ice cream that they got from the night market and her eyes focused on the late night news report. They talked about the news being broadcasted and offered their own opinions on the political advantage and consequences of Amegakure joining in with the alliance.

Though he's tired, he's not in any hurry to leave. For just a few more hours, he wants to be with her without the heavy responsibility of being a Hokage.

"Kakashi, do you want some ice cream? This is a pint, you know," she asked as she scooped another spoon of the ice cream. A devious idea came into his mind and he sat up straight, drawing his knees against his chest.

"You know I'm not into sweet food," he said as he crawled to her side of the couch and straddling her knees, "But I'll make an exception."

He took the pint from her hands when he's close enough and put it down on the center table. Her eyes were wide, her lips still glistening with the ice cream that she was eating. Impulsively, he leaned in and ran his tongue across her lips.

He pulled away slightly to see her cheeks quickly reddening at his actions and he smirked, "Hmm, maybe I do like sweet things."

He leaned in again, closing his eyes and pressing his lips against hers. Kissing her passionately, his hands settled on her hips. He can taste the vanilla ice cream still on her lips and he licked them, coaxing her mouth to open, to taste her. She gasped and opened her mouth, her tongue meeting his in a passionate dance. Her hands ran up his torso, up his chest and then settled around his neck. She pulled away slightly but only to leave teasing bites on his lower lip and he couldn't help the small growl from escaping his throat.

Kakashi can feel his pants getting tighter. With everything she's making him feel right now, he can't help the arousal that's coursing through his whole being. He pulled himself away from her lips, only to turn his attention along her warm neck. Leaning down, he placed open mouthed kisses along her neck, down to her collarbone. With his head so close to her lips, he can hear every single gasp and intake of breath that she makes which, in turn, makes him more excited and the tiny sounds that she's making isn't helping him either. I need to calm down before I can take this any further.

He pulled away from her skin reluctantly, giving her a last, chaste kiss on her lips, before pulling away completely and returning to his side of the couch. His breathing was hard and his lips felt kind of swollen. Shizune's face was burning; her face down to her neck was blushing and her lips red from his kisses. She was breathing harshly, as well, and her eyes held various emotions.

"Kakashi?" she spoke, her breathing still erratic.

His desire for her now is palpable. He wants to feel her bare, warm skin under his hands, to hear the sounds that he can get her to make, to feel her body against him, to see the expression on her face when he takes her. He wants her so bad, it almost hurt.

But he promised himself that he would let Shizune take the lead in this aspect of their relationship and it wouldn't sit well with him if he ever do the latter.

He lowered his feet on the floor and attempted to stand up, "I'm sorry, Shizune. I have to go." And take this matter in my hand. Literally.

Her hand on his arm stopped him. He turned to face her and she already moved closer to his side. Her eyes were brimming with emotions: affection, excitement, desire, love.

He sat back down, enraptured with what he's seeing. She kept her hand on his arm and other hand reached up to caress the side of his face. He leaned against her hand unconsciously, loving the feel of her palm against his skin.

"Kakashi, what's wrong?" she asked softly.

He looked away from her eyes for a moment, "I – I don't want to do anything that you don't want to do."

"Is that it?" she asked again, a note of amusement in her voice. He can only nod. She lightly tapped his cheek in an attempt to get his attention. When he finally looked at her, there was an exasperated smile on her lips.

"Have I given any indication that I don't want you?" she queried, her hand on his arm making its way up to his face and brushing against the scar on his face.

"No," he replied lowly. He's getting swept up in the moment and he wants nothing but to show her how much he feels about her.

Shizune's smile turned tender and she leaned closer to him, "Then, it's alright," she whispered the moment before her lips met his again.

She kissed him gently, her fingers tangling themselves on his hair. He closed his eyes and immediately kissed her back just as gently. Their kiss was sweet and Kakashi couldn't help but feel addicted to her lips. He was simply addicted to her.

A thought crossed his mind and he suddenly pulled away, "Wait, is that a yes?" he asked uncertainly between intakes of breath. I need confirmation first!

As a response, Shizune stood up and took his hand in hers, leading him to her bedroom.