Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. This story is purely a work of fanfiction.

Nina- is my original character (I do own her)

Chapter 12

Disappointed was somewhat of an understatement when they arrived at the spa to discover it not only gender-separated, but exceptionally busy. Kakashi damned himself for working them both up prior to managing to pry themselves away from each other, eventually, in order to get to their destination.

In a split second of internal damnation he'd lost hold of Nina and she'd disappeared from his view. Half naked, balmy bodies of all shapes and sizes filtered through the doorway he was standing in and Kakashi somehow found himself in the men's spa. Not one for crowds this wasn't ideal; not in the least. However, he was on leave, so he may as well … yeah, no. Kakashi about-faced and left the spa house. That many people and a thought that wouldn't quit niggling in the back of his brain were reason enough to leave.

"Boss?"

"Pakkun."

The little pug smelt the musty air; two very recognisable scents. One belonging to his master and the other…

"Where's Nina?"

"Spa."

Kakashi unfolded the map from his pack, surveying the outlying areas around the inn.

"And yet you're here?"

"Yes."

"Mission?"

"No. I'm on leave."

"And Nina? Or is this another mission?"

The emphasis on the last word had Kakashi shooting the pug a stern look. "Hiatus. Now, if you're quite finished with the questions, I'd appreciate if you'd focus on the task at hand."

Touchy. One on leave and one on hiatus, same place and a room that was bathed in Eau De sex. What did his master expect?

He did as he was commanded and refocussed on Kakashi's orders. Following his finger on the map laid out on the floor and the rest of the ninken surrounding it; they were on a recon mission of their own.

Kakashi gave the order and the pack dispersed. "Not you Pakkun."

"Boss?"

Pakkun darted through the forestry, mulling on the details that Kakashi had just divulged. Not comrades. Asuma Sarutobi had died. All that information did was clarify that Nina wasn't a floozy. As for the mission he and the pack had been sent on, that was just as open-ended as whatever their relationship was.

It'd been enough for Nina to seek the privacy of their room to inform him and although, he'd discredited it as anything too serious, Kakashi wanted to be sure. Their location was a few hours shy of the most unstable country within in the great nations- Amegakure. If there was any hint of a rebel or ninja, his ninken would be sure to find it.

Satisfied that his pack were hard at work and Nina was preoccupied in the spa, Kakashi wriggled until he was in a comfortable position up the same tree he'd been in last time. He lifted one leg, then laid it out. Then let it hang over the branch. And again brought it back up. Dammit. Ignoring his agitated mind Kakashi proceeded to open the book, only to stare blankly at the page. Why? He'd taken care of the possibility there was someone lurking around the area. Nina was in the spa and he had a copy of … Damn Pakkun.

Aren't you overreacting a little?

Yanking his mask down to inhale fresh air, his mind had taken hold of the canine's words and wasn't letting go of them. Had he overreacted? Probably. But they were in hostile territory. There. He'd justified it, now he could get back to…

The words on the page were scrambled. Shit. Slapping the book against his thighs dislodged one of the photos which Kakashi frantically pinched between two fingers.

Rin.

He'd not kept his promise to Obito. His eye fell to his hand. By his own hand he'd taken her life and by his own signature jutsu. His hand trembled under the gravity of his memory.

They weren't the same. Even still…

Good grief. Pakkun had a point and Kakashi was now, painfully aware that his decision to send the pack out had be influenced by his own inner demons. There had been no need to send them.

Shit.

Affixing his mask back in place, Kakashi leapt from the tree and once in a secluded area, called back his faithful ninken and promptly dismissed them altogether.

Kakashi was untroubled by the physicality aspect of their bonds, unlike Nina who had struggled to distinguish the difference between love making and whatever depraved acts she'd endured. Diversely, the emotional aspect he was unpractised and Nina was displaying a little more prowess in that field. Albeit, not by much.

Given him and Nina were in some indeterminate relationship of sorts; rogue thoughts swayed by his past failures were beginning to resurface thick and fast.

Hesitation and doubt had no place in the world of shinobi. And Kakashi's mind was burdened by both. Notwithstanding their lack of belonging as a shinobi, it wouldn't bode well should they stand before the Elders.

Back in their room, Kakashi threw himself backwards onto the bed and stared that the ceiling. Without the cenotaph he was left to his own dissolve. Thoughts flooded his mind, none of which were particularly grand or positive. Instead of revelling in the good fortune of what had and was transpiring between him and Nina, Kakashi found himself filled with an indiscernible amount of wonderings.

Maybe they were doomed to fail? Nina was vulnerable due to fatigue in the first place, adding Asuma's death, it was unlikely she had a verifiable grip on her emotions. All this could be chalked up to timing and the satiation of her primal sexual needs in her weakened emotional state. Maybe he was no different to Raido?

Removing both his mask and eye covering, Kakashi threw one arm over his face. Rin. He exhaled slowly. They weren't the same. Nina wasn't just a comrade or a promise to a dying friend. She was… There'd been no direct declaration and therefore Kakashi couldn't quite find the right word.

Shinobi were awful at relaxing as much as medics made terrible patients. Minato-Sensei had introduced him to Master Jiraiya's books as means to "relax", which eventually led to their shared hobby of reading. Aside from reading, Kakashi's world revolved around training and missions.

And as much as spending time with Nina, particularly as there were at the moment, was thoroughly enjoyable it gave rise to the elephant in the room. One that hadn't really left since their last trip to Amegakure.

What happens when they get back to Konoha?

Being on leave and a forced hiatus meant they could switch off from their shinobi lifestyles and indulge in… what did she refer to it as… humanness. Likewise, in the village, they would find themselves reverting to their shinobi mode. How the hell were they supposed to balance the two?

As a point of assistance on the matter, Asuma was dead, as were Minato-Sensei and Obito. And as for Master Jiraiya, Kakashi supposed there wasn't much other than what had been outlined within the pages of the Icha Icha novels. Guy was too… flamboyant.

Guess he'd just have to work it out on his own, or rather their own.